shotgun wedding

shotgun wedding

A wedding that happens quickly due to an unplanned pregnancy. After finding out she was pregnant, Gina and Tom had a shotgun wedding.
See also: shotgun, wedding
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

shotgun wedding

Fig. a forced wedding. (From imagery of the bride's father having threatened the bridegroom with a shotgun to force him to marry the bride because he made her pregnant.) Mary was six months pregnant when she married Bill. It was a real shotgun wedding. Bob would never have married Jane if she hadn't been pregnant. Jane's father saw to it that it was a shotgun wedding.
See also: shotgun, wedding
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

Shotgun wedding

An agreement or compromise made through necessity, as in Since neither side won a majority, the coalition government was obviously a shotgun wedding . This expression alludes to a marriage precipitated by a woman's pregnancy, causing her father to point a literal or figurative gun at the responsible man's head. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.
See also: shotgun, wedding
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a shotgun wedding

1. A shotgun wedding is a wedding that happens quickly because the woman is pregnant. The sort of marriage that starts with a shotgun wedding never quite escapes from the feeling that one partner or the other has been trapped.
2. A shotgun wedding is when two companies or organizations join together suddenly because they need to. The committee was created through a shotgun wedding between the community relations commission and the race relations board.
See also: shotgun, wedding
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a ˌshotgun ˈwedding/ˈmarriage

(old-fashioned, informal) a marriage which takes place because the woman is pregnant
This expression probably refers to the father of a woman, who threatens to shoot the man unless he marries her.
See also: marriage, shotgun, wedding
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

shotgun wedding

n. a forced wedding, presumably because the bride is pregnant. It was a shotgun wedding, but they sure are in love.
See also: shotgun, wedding
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

shotgun wedding

A wedding made compulsory by bride's pregnancy. At a time and in social circles where a baby's illegitimacy stigmatized both mother and child, something had to be done, and in a hurry. As soon as his unwed daughter broke the news of her pregnancy and the father-to-be's unwillingness to marry her, the father grabbed his shotgun off the wall. With such motivation, the young man was forced to accompany the young lady to the nearest preacher or justice of the peace to make her an honest woman. The phase is sometimes used to describe business mergers made only for reasons of expediency.
See also: shotgun, wedding
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • a shotgun wedding
  • penny wedding
  • shotgun marriage
  • a shotgun wedding/marriage
  • hot ticket
  • Catholic gap
  • wedding tackle
  • dance at (someone's) wedding
  • dance at wedding
  • white wedding
References in periodicals archive
"And given that NW just broke the news that Camila is reportedly expecting Leo's sprog, it sounds like it might be a shotgun wedding," (https://www.pressreader.com/australia/nw/20190805/281681141497981) NW wrote.
Brad Pitt Not The Best Man In Leonardo DiCaprio's Wedding
"She hates the phrase 'shotgun wedding', but that is what it is as she wants to add some respectability to her pregnancy and does not want to give birth unmarried."
'Pregnant' Chloe Green plans shotgun wedding to hot felon in Miami; One of the richest heiresses in the world wants to make it legal with lover Jeremy Meeks before she gives birth
For the current Government repeatedly throw around statistics like cheap confetti at a shotgun wedding.
Like cheap confetti at a shotgun wedding
He added: "They should be taking a proactive position with regards to this." But Cllr Chris Bithell, cabinet member for education, said: "I've likened it to a shotgun wedding. It doesn't augur well for that particular relationship."
Glimmer of hope in fight to save primary school
LIAM CONNOR 2007-8 They had a shotgun wedding then a tragic stillbirth before Liam was murdered by Tony Gordon.
Maria's Rocky romances
Soon after, Welles impregnated Italian actress and aristocrat Paola Mori, which prompted a shotgun wedding in 1955 but the couple soon drifted apart.
'Womaniser' Orson Welles' romantic life revealed
SHOTGUN WEDDING: Giovanni Trapattoni told Shane Long (below, right) he was marrying too soon!
Wedding day? You should be with us Shane
We are planning on holding a shotgun wedding and marrying her off to someone, anyone, we're not bothered really.
A Bit on The Side...
But, despite the shotgun wedding, the pair have strung together several impressive World Cup results, culminating in claiming silver two weeks ago at the Sail for Gold regatta in Weymouth.
Partnership success is a surprise for 2012 hopeful
The film, written and directed by former Liverpool Express manager Joe Scott, tells the story of 17-year-old teenage drummer Patsy who escapes a shotgun wedding in 1962 Belfast and comes to Liverpool.
MERSEY BEAT FILM IN TRIP BACK TO THE60s; Liverpool is setting for low budget movie
Ace Films' low-budget First Time Loser is written and directed by former Liverpool Express manager Joe Scott and tells the story of 17-year-old teenage drummer Patsy who escapes a shotgun wedding in 1962 Belfast and comes to Liverpool.
Low-budget film is turning back the years
We were doing a cameo of a shotgun wedding when I proposed."
Couple's delight at their special Civil ceremony; War dress for everyone at re-enactment fans' wedding
Shares in Lloyds, whose shotgun wedding with the bombed-out HBOS with Sir Victor playing matchmaker andpriest broughtonitswoes,gained three per cent yesterday at 87.33p yesterday (well below the 122.6p the Government paid), while RBS, which hopes to be out of the Treasury's clutches sometime in the next four years, lost three per cent to close at 35.93p.
Banking mess proving costly; city view
"It wasn't a shotgun wedding but there were a lot of rifles," joked 94-year-old John, referring to the fact that everyone had to be dressed, armed and ready for action at anytime.
It was war when we got married but this love's lasted for 70 years
I was born within a year of the wedding (11 months, for those who like to add the figures quickly on their fingers to figure out if it was a shotgun wedding, although I was also over two months premature).
Celebrating a golden moment