Idiom 25: Loose Cannon

Loose Cannon

Hi. Let’s take a look at the idiom, “ loose cannon ”. When somebody or something is a “loose cannon” it means that the person or thing is dangerously uncontrollable or unpredictable – you can’t tell what that person or thing is going to do next: unpredictable.

But what is the origin of this idiom?

The origin of the metaphor is based on an image where a cannon on a ship comes loose – you know, it no longer stays in its place but begins to move around uncontrollably; for example, because of a big storm. The cannon then slides wildly from one side to the other side of the ship because it is not secured by anything. It is not attached firmly to anything. This is dangerous because the moving cannon is a threat to the safety of the crew members. They can get injured easily.

Let’s take a look at our illustration.

There is a cannon on this old ship. Nothing holds the cannon down; it can move. It is loose. Look at the man near the cannon. He looks scared. Why is he scared? Because the loose cannon is dangerous. It just moves around uncontrollably and could hurt him.

Also, the cannon looks like a man. A “loose cannon” can refer to a person, an uncontrollable and hence dangerous person.

Here are some examples before we go to the concept questions…

“Don’t let him talk to the press; he is a loose cannon.”

Michael’s parents did not raise him properly, so he is a loose cannon in school.

Susan used to be a loose cannon, but now she has grown up and matured – you know, she became more responsible with age.

“Be careful with Dan, he is a loose cannon.”

“Stop treating me like I’m a loose cannon.” (= Don’t try to overcontrol me.)

Great.

Let’s look at some situations and check your understanding:

1.

Frank is a manager at a large company. He only got the job two weeks ago but keeps firing employees for making small mistakes, shouting at the businesss’ customers for no reason, and he does not listen to the president of the company. Is Frank a loose cannon? Yes. He is a loose cannon because his uncontrollable and unpredictable actions can cause damage not only to people in the company but also the customers.

2.

Ellen’s dog is an old german shepherd. It always obeys Ellen’s instructions because it is a well-trained dog; if she tells it to sit, it sits; if she tells it to stop barking, it stops barking etc. Is Ellen’s dog a loose cannon? No. Her dog is a harmless dog – not dangerous at all – that behaves in a predictable and controlled way.

3.

Michael is a soldier in the military. Every time he gets into a real combat situation – an actual fight -, he starts shooting towards the enemy without caring about the mission, where his teammates are positioned or what his commander orders. Is Micheal a loose cannon? Yes. Michael is a loose cannon because he doesn’t really follow orders which makes him unpredictable.

4.

Jordan’s father is the headmaster of a private school. As a result of this, he thinks that he can misbehave inside and outside classes. He often disrespects the teachers and starts fights in the school. Is Jordan a loose cannon? Yes, he is.

5.

Jen is currently 5 years old. She always throws dishes at her parents every time she gets angry. She throws dishes so often that her parents have locked the kitchen door to protect themselves from her fury – you know, extreme anger. However, when angry, Jen always finds something to break or throw at her parents. Is Jen a loose cannon? Yes. She is a loose cannon because when she is angry, she always acts in an unpredictable and sometimes even a  dangerous way.