April 7, 2007

“Shots Rang Out!”

Filed under: Uncategorized — Jim @ 3:32 pm

“Shots rang out.”

“Shots rang out?”

I got to thinking about that as I was walking this morning. Don’t ask me why. I assume it’s a cosmic thing.

Anyone familiar with the sound of gunfire knows that shots don’t “ring”. Farookin’ bells ring. And yet, in the written word, shots continue to “ring out”.

To wit, Google produces 157,000 hits for “shots rang out”.

I got to thinking a bit more about this weighty matter, and I wondered what other words might work instead of “rang”. How about these?

“Shots boomed out.” (“Boom” has a big gun sound.) Only 31 Google hits. WTF?

“Shots blasted out.” (“Blast” has some weight, methinks.) Damn, only 25 Google hits.

“Shots sang out.” (I figure if they can ring, they can sing.) Yikes! Only one Google hit.

“Shots tolled out.” (Hell, bells toll, so why not shots?) Wrong! Zero Google hits.

“Shots farted out.” OK, I know I’m reaching here, but I’m desperate. Nope. Zero Google hits, but Google suggested that I try “Shots fired out”.

OK, I’m game.

“Shots fired out.” Hey, Google may be on to something here. 305 Google hits.

And this silly shit demonstrates precisely why I should step away from this contraption and read a farookin’ book – one that hopefully has nothing to with shots ringing, booming, blasting, singing, tolling, farting, or firing out.

Later.

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