spray and pray

spray and pray
 v. phr.— «A clerk at the Outdoorsman, Route 12, in West Boylston, said the gun has an effective range of only about 40 yards. “It’s basically spray and pray that you hit something,” he said. “I see no use for them really.”» —“Assault rifles hot item in face of ban” by Walter H. Crockett Jr. Sunday Telegram (Worcester, Massachusetts) Mar. 19, 1989. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

What in Tarnation (episode #1599)

Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...

Primary Colors (episode #1590)

Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...

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