straight-from-the-shoulder
direct, honest, and forceful in expression; outspoken.
Words Nearby straight-from-the-shoulder
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use straight-from-the-shoulder in a sentence
It was no good trying some tricky approach; his best bet was the straight-from-the-shoulder bit.
Greylorn | John Keith Laumer"Very well, sir," said Colin, a little taken aback by this straight-from-the-shoulder statement.
The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries | Francis Rolt-WheelerThey were straight-from-the-shoulder remarks, or, as he called them, they were “brass tacks.”
The Mutiny of the Elsinore | Jack LondonIt was all straight-from-the-shoulder kind of talk, garbed in homely phrase.
The Johnstown Horror | James Herbert WalkerThe Cubans and the officers of the company alike came in for a good deal of straight-from-the-shoulder Yankee criticism.
Pioneering in Cuba | James Meade Adams
Other Idioms and Phrases with straight-from-the-shoulder
In a direct, forthright manner, as in I'll tell you, straight from the shoulder, that you'll have to do better or they'll fire you. This expression comes from boxing, where it describes a blow delivered with full force. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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