pot shot

See also: potshot

English

Alternative forms

• potshot

Etymology

1858, shot taken for the (cooking) pot, namely for food; see pothunter. Sense “opportunistic criticism” from 1926.

Noun

pot shot (plural pot shots)

1. A haphazard shot with a firearm, taken with careless aim, often fired at a random target.
2. A shot taken from a hidden stakeout.
3. By analogy, insulting or hurtful words carelessly or randomly said; opportunistic attack, especially criticism.
   • 2007, The Observer‎^[1]:

     Why should Jonathan, Ruth and all the others have to stay out there like sitting ducks as policemen and their smug reporter friends took pot shots at them?

Related terms

• pothunter

Translations

haphazard shot

• Danish: kasteskud
• Finnish: sokkolaukaus
• German: Schuss aufs Geratewohl m

shot taken from hiding

• German: Schuss aus dem Hinterhalt m

randomly said hurtful words

• Finnish: summittainen kritiikki
• German: Heruntergeputze n, Herunterputzen n, scharfe Attacke f

Anagrams

• hot pots, hot spot, hotpots, hotspot