shotgun shack, shotgun house, railroad flat, etc

[Jonathan Lighter]

I agree with Doug. Same for "railroad flat," should the question arise.

JL

"Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Douglas G. Wilson"
Subject: Re: shotgun shack, shotgun house, railroad flat, etc
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> > brings up "shotgun shack" (is it a redneck term?), "shotgun house",
> > "railroad flat", and "railroad apartment".
> >
> > Shotgun shack (Not in OED)
>
>[...]
>
> > Shotgun house (Not in OED)
>
>[...]
>
>Actually, both are in OED, covered by _shot-gun_ sense 3.b.,
>"Designating a house or other building with rooms set in a
>line on either side of a long central hallway," which has
>cites for ~ dwelling house, ~ building, ~ house, ~ shanty,
>and ~ shack.
>
>But we're way late on this, with the first quot. only from
>1938.

Is "shotgun" really used for a building with a central hall?

I think the dwellings which I've heard referred to as "shotgun
houses/apartments/etc." generally had rooms in a row from front to back (no
hall at all).

Surely the lowliest "shotgun shack" cannot be typified by any sort of long
hallway ... or any hallway ... or anything very long ... I wouldn't think.

-- Doug Wilson


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