trigger (redirected from triggers)

quick on the trigger and quick on the draw 

1. Lit. quick to draw a gun and shoot. Some of the old cowboys were known to be quick on the trigger. Wyatt Earp was particularly quick on the draw.

2. Fig. quick to respond to anything. John gets the right answer before anyone else. He's really quick on the trigger. Sally will probably win the quiz game. She's really quick on the draw.

See also: quick

trigger someone off

to cause someone to become angry. (Fig. on trigger something off.) Your rude comments triggered her off. Your comments triggered off Bob's temper.

trigger something off

to set something off, such as an explosion. We were afraid that the sparks from the engine would trigger an explosion off. The sparks triggered off an explosion.

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trigger-happy

someone who is trigger-happy uses their gun too often and without thinking carefully The book's main character is a trigger-happy New York detective.