shoot the bull, to

shoot the bull

To chat or converse aimlessly or casually. Customers always want to shoot the bull with me in the store before they buy something. I just shot the bull with John for a while when he passed me on the street.See also: bull, shoot

shoot the bull

 and shoot the crap; shoot the shitInf. to chat and gossip. (The same as throw the bull. Use caution with crap, shit.) Let's get together sometime and shoot the bull. You spend too much time shooting the crap.See also: bull, shoot

shoot the bull

and shoot the crap and shoot the shit tv. to chat and gossip. (The same as throw the bull.) Let’s get together sometime and shoot the bull. I don’t have time to stand around shooting the crap with these jerks. See also: bull, shoot

shoot the bull, to

To express one’s opinions on a variety of matters, whether or not one knows a great deal about them. Bull here appears to be a shortening of bullshit, which has meant nonsense, lies, or exaggeration since the early 1900s. A gathering for shooting the bull is called a bull session and traditionally consists entirely of males. Yet another euphemism for shooting the bull is shooting the breeze, which calls up the image of the hot air expended in this kind of a gossip session. To shoot one’s mouth off, on the other hand, means both to talk indiscreetly or tactlessly and to exaggerate.See also: shoot