Quote
“I have had to announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant.”
- Singer Lisa Marie Presley on being forced to reveal her secret. (MySpace)
Meaning
pressured, forced to rush
Use
If you really want someone to hurry up and get something done, pointing a gun at him or her couldn’t hurt. It is, of course, illegal and immoral to do so, but, hey, sometimes you’re in a hurry!
Since pointing guns at people tends to create problems, it’s better to point metaphorical guns. Employers and teachers give people deadlines to make sure they get their work done on time. If you have to get something done quickly or people are going to be mad at you, you’re working under the gun.
You can also use under the gun when you’re talking about pressure in general. Lisa Marie Presley has appeared a little larger than normal lately. So the press started writing mean things about her. The truth is she’s pregnant but didn’t want anyone to know. But she found herself under the gun to say something since everyone was talking about her appearance.
Examples
“The company is need of new clients so I’m under the gun to get this deal finished.”
“We’re under the gun to get this weapon developed before our enemies do.”
Grammar Point
The phrase under the gun comes from poker, a common card game that’s played for money. If you’re under the gun at the poker table, it means you’re the first one who has to place a bet.
Available in http://www.englishbaby.com/lessons/4468/slang/under_the_gun
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