# Origin of "Who shot John?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 8, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962 "2000-07-08T17:31:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OrganicMatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/898d66/32.png) [@OrganicMatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrganicMatter)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/1 "2000-07-08T17:31:19Z")

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The expression “Who shot John?” is used, albeit infrequently, by political pundits and similar types. Can anyone explain the meaning and origin of this phrase?

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**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/2 "2000-07-08T19:01:41Z")

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Doesn’t sound all that familiar to me. Where have you heard it used? In what context?

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**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/3 "2000-07-08T19:21:45Z")

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I’ve never heard this uttered. How about “Who shot J.R.?”  
Or, “Got what Nancy shot at”. But, who shot John? John who?😕

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/4 "2000-07-08T21:25:30Z")

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but running it past Google turns up a lot of hits on the shooting of John Lennon. (!?)

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**Author:** ![OrganicMatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/898d66/32.png) [@OrganicMatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrganicMatter)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/5 "2000-07-08T21:25:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pkbites \*  
> I’ve never heard this uttered. How about “Who shot J.R.?”  
> Or, “Got what Nancy shot at”. But, who shot John? John who?😕

Exactly my question: John who?

I hear this expression maybe 3-4 times a year, and have seen it in print a few times. One person will make a statement and then the other person will say something like, “Let’s talk about who shot John.” It’s a real insider-type comment.

I definitely did not mishear “Who shot J.R.”

A pure guess is that it refers to JFK in some way. Again, I have no evidence to back that up. This is something I have wondered about for quite a while, and have searched for the answer. Maybe I should call Bill Buckley. But I have more confidence in the TM.

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**Author:** ![OrganicMatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/898d66/32.png) [@OrganicMatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrganicMatter)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/6 "2000-07-08T21:27:24Z")

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Sorry. Yes, this is a phrase I have heard exclusively in the U.S. And exclusively during political discussions.

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**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-who-shot-john/24962/7 "2000-07-08T21:36:45Z")

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John LENNON?!?!?!? Who shot John KENNEDY! It means ‘turn the conversation to another controversial, unsolved question’.