shoot from the hip

shoot from the hip

1. (literally) To discharge a firearm while it is held near the hip, without taking time to aim via the gunsights.
   • 1914, Arthur Conan Doyle, "The German War" in The Contemptible Little Army:

     “As to their rifle fire, it was useless.” “They shoot from the hip, and don’t seem to aim at anything in particular.”

2. (figuratively) To speak or act quickly based on first impressions, without carefully studying the background information, wider context, etc.
   • 2016 June 15, Thomas L. Friedman, "Opinion: Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando," New York Times (retrieved 10 May 2018):

     Trump is shooting from the hip, spraying insults 360 degrees, telling lies, stoking fears and making threats that many in our military and the F.B.I. would refuse to implement.

• (figuratively: speak quickly based on first impressions): shoot from the lip

• from the hip

• shoot first and ask questions later
• trigger-happy