# How universal is the term ‘shotgun’ for a vehicle’s front passenger seat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620 "2026-07-12T13:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/1 "2026-07-12T13:03:29Z")
The other day my son, who is home from college for the Summer, had a friend from high school ride his bike over to visit. Just as he got to our house his bike broke down and was unridable. So my son asked me if I could load his bike in the back of my Jeep and give them a ride to his house. After we got the bike in the Jeep my son asked if he could drive. I said “sure” and asked his friend “you want shotgun?” To which his friend looked bewildered and slightly alarmed, as if he was thinking “why is this guy asking me about shotguns?!?”. So I just said “that’s what we old people call the front passenger seat”. It got me wondering, is it now an ‘old person’ term that’s not recognized by younger generations? I did teach my kids to call ‘shotgun’ once they were old enough to ride in the front seat so they didn’t fight over it, so they’re aware of the term. Do you non-USAian Dopers recognize the term, since it originates with the ‘shotgun’ seat on Old West stagecoaches? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/2 "2026-07-12T13:19:47Z")
Here in the UK, I know the term from US media, but that’s it. If anyone here’s using it, I can only assume they’ve adopted it from similar sources. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/3 "2026-07-12T13:34:45Z")
I’m not sure I even knew about the term for most of my childhood despite growing up on westerns in the 1960s and ‘70s. We had a pickup truck, and everybody sat in the front seat (or the truck bed). That said, a lot of states require children under a certain age to ride in the back seat now ( the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends any child under 13) so the opportunity to call shotgun doesn’t exist for kids until they are almost driving age. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/4 "2026-07-12T13:37:02Z")
I occasionally refer to it as “riding shotgun”, especially when transporting a dog. The front passenger seat has long been termed the “death seat” for supposedly being the most dangerous place to sit in a vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/5 "2026-07-12T13:43:08Z")
The rule was that you can’t call shotgun until you are in sight of the car. I never really cared about sitting in the front. If somebody called “shotgun”, I’d call “lookout” and get in the backseat. (As far as I know, I coined “lookout” for the back seat, and I’m proud I did) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/6 "2026-07-12T13:44:11Z")
Speculating that it comes from a situation like this screenshot from _The Magnificen Seven_ (1960 - one of the greatest movies ever made), where Steve McQueen is riding (with a) shotgun next to Yul Brynner as they take a coffin up to Boot Hill for burial when no one else will. IOW, an armed escort. [![](https://i.imgur.com/ddVeJKV.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ddVeJKV.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/7 "2026-07-12T13:47:33Z")
That imagery in Westerns well predates 1960. Most notably _Stagecoach_ from 1939. There was even a Randolph Scott film in 1954 called _Riding Shotgun_. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/8 "2026-07-12T13:48:18Z")
Am familiar with the term, likely from it’s American stagecoach origin. The main horse coach company in Australia was Cobb & Co who operated from 1854 to 1924. I know that C&C coaches didn’t always have co-drivers and that when they did the co-driver might carry a a firearm, especially in areas where bushrangers were active but whether they always did I can’t determine. A similar term used here is “the jump seat” which I think is of aviation derivation. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/9 "2026-07-12T13:50:50Z")
But to your point, I suspect that now it’s mainly an ‘old person’ term. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/10 "2026-07-12T13:56:29Z")
I know it predates 1960. I just like looking at Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. So sue me. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/11 "2026-07-12T14:04:05Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Here in the UK, I know the term from US media, but that’s it. If anyone here’s using it, I can only assume they’ve adopted it from similar sources. > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Am familiar with the term, likely from it’s American stagecoach origin. Thanks! I was particularly interested in hearing from Dopers outside the U.S. to see how far the term had traveled. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > The front passenger seat has long been termed the “death seat” for supposedly being the most dangerous place to sit in a vehicle. Really? I would have assumed the driver’s seat, since there’s a large steering wheel that could end up planted in one’s chest. I just googled it, and Google’s AI agrees the shotgun seat is the most dangerous in an accident, but other results are kind of all over the place, a couple saying the driver’s seat, and others saying “contrary to popular belief, the back seat is most dangerous, since people often don’t wear seatbelts in back and there’s no air bag protection”. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I know it predates 1960. I just like looking at Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. So sue me. First good laugh of the day, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/12 "2026-07-12T15:46:39Z")
> [@solost](#): > > the back seat is most dangerous, since people often don’t wear seatbelts in back and there’s no air bag protection”. Cf. Princess Diana. 🙁 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/13 "2026-07-12T16:05:12Z")
I’m an old person and we never used the term. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/14 "2026-07-12T16:08:00Z")
Where did you grow up, if you don’t mind me asking? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/15 "2026-07-12T16:24:29Z")
Midwestern US, born 1970. Been “calling shotgun” for as long as I can remember. And this was in the days before governments started mandating that children under a certain age ride in the back seat. Christ, when I was 13 Mom would take me to the JC Penny’s parking lot after hours and let me _drive the fucking car_. We Gen-Xers are a different breed, is what I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/16 "2026-07-12T16:27:47Z")
Canada here. I’ve used and understood the term since forever. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/17 "2026-07-12T16:29:48Z")
Ditto, from the west coast. My nephew and niece, now late 20s, knew the term as kids, but probably learned it from their dad. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/18 "2026-07-12T16:41:01Z")
It carried on through the '90s but my kids don’t know about it. I’ve told them and they keep forgetting, but I think that’s part of a larger trend of young people driving less and not hanging out as much in person with their friends. > [@Moriarty](#): > > The rule was that you can’t call shotgun until you are in sight of the car. My friends and I were _very_ competitive about calling shotty, and we ended up scrapping this rule. It led to too much physicality at the door of a restaurant as everyone was trying to “get out” first to see the car; you’d tug on people, push them, whatever. It made us look like assholes. The new rule was that shotty becomes available as soon as the _driver’s_ foot touches ground outside of the establishment. This a single trigger for everyone so there’s no fights. In the event two people were watching for that footstep and called shotgun at approximately the same time (we didn’t split hairs over fractions of a second), then it was decided by RPS amongst the callers. It worked great, and I’m sad it’s not really a thing anymore. Not that riding shotgun really matters, but we had to entertain ourselves somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/19 "2026-07-12T16:45:16Z")
Old guy here (65), grew up in Philly. Everyone knew and used the term in my generation. I’ll ask my son (34) tomorrow when I see him if he’s familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620/20 "2026-07-12T16:54:56Z")
> [@solost](#): > > the back seat is most dangerous, since people often don’t wear seatbelts in back and there’s no air bag protection”. Back when I was old enough to need to call shotgun, the backseat was usually a bench seat. So, in the back, I’d sit right in the middle, so I could interact with the front, with plenty of room on both sides. If we’re in an accident, I’m an unimpeded missile through the front windshield. Also, please forgive me for the terminology, but there was another named sitting position. If there were 4 passengers, somebody called shotgun, and then somebody was _told_ “you get the bitch seat.” That meant sitting in the back middle, _between_ two passengers who had window access. (This justified, in my opinion, why calling _lookout_, my term for backseat window, was valid. You’ve got your driver, you’ve got your shotgun, you’ve got your bitch…lookout just follows. Of course, that leaves a 4th passenger name, too. I usually proposed _wingman_, but by this point in the conversation everybody else had tuned me out) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-term-shotgun-for-a-vehicle-s-front-passenger-seat/1031620.md?page=2)