Lock, Stock, and Barrel

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Chris calling from San Diego.

Hiya, Chris.

How are you, Martha?

Doing just fine, and yourself?

Just fine, beautiful day.

Beautiful day, right, right, but there must be something that’s got your goat.

Oh, well, I was using an expression, I just wondered if you could tell me where it came from.

Oh, let’s hear it.

I’d be happy to try.

I was helping a friend change tack rooms, that’s a little building you keep horse equipment in.

-huh.

And I had left some nails and saddle rack and bridle racks, and she said,

You want those? I said, nope, it’s all yours, lock, stock, and barrel. So I just wondered where that came from because I’ve used it all my life and I don’t even know why. Well, Chris, tell us,

Do you have a theory about it? I mean, do you think barrels have to do with rolling out the barrel?

No, because of the horses, I think it’s more of a cowboy thing. I think it might have something to do with guns. Right. It is actually from guns. It has to do with the lock, the stock, and the barrel of guns. These are each part of weapons.

I was wondering.

And you find this term first pop up about 1817.

The earliest use that we know of was from Sir Walter Scott. And he’s talking about it.

And he’s using it in a metaphorical sense to simply mean everything. All of an occasion. All of whatever you’re talking about. And

It’s interesting that you’re a horse person because it’s always reminded me of the language of people who are really interested in guns, like gun fanatics. I’m not talking like freaks and weirers. I’m just talking about people who are appreciate the fine craftsmanship of a well-made weapon, and they consider them art as much as a tool.

They always remind me of horsey people in the way that they talk passionately about what they do, right?

And they have their own in-house language, and some of the language of horse people has made it into regular English, and some of the language of gun people, I believe, like this term, has made it into regular English.

It’s kind of like generated because of the passion they have for their pastime.

Nice.

Chris, is that an expression that you’ve heard all your life?

Yes.

Yeah, I’ve just always said it.

It’s always been around the stables with the horses.

And the older people used it.

And, of course, when you’re 16, anybody who’s 40 is older.

Right.

It was loads of fun.

I just picked it up, and always, when I’m around horses, that’s what I’ll say.

Well, hey, thanks a lot for calling.

Oh, you’re welcome.

Thanks for the information.

Okay.

Bye-bye, Chris.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

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So fire away.