nut behind the bolt

noun

The person using a firearm; the shooter.

“He said the accident was caused by a faulty trigger, but I think it was the nut behind the bolt.”

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Meanings

nounthe nut behind the bolt
  1. The person using a firearm; the shooter.

    He said the accident was caused by a faulty trigger, but I think it was the nut behind the bolt.

Origin

Punning use of the word nut to refer to a fool, rather than a mechanical nut. Implies that most firearm accidents are the responsibility of the shooter and not a failure of the gun.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

nut behind the bolt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nut%20behind%20the%20bolt

MLA

“nut behind the bolt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nut%20behind%20the%20bolt. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nut behind the bolt,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nut%20behind%20the%20bolt.

Source: nut behind the bolt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.