Saturday-night special

See also: Saturday night special

English

Alternative forms

• Saturday night special

Etymology

Attested from 1917, akin to Satuday-night pistol attested from 1915. Not entirely clear, but perhaps from phrases like “Saturday night pistol slaying” and “Saturday night pistol scrape” often found in early 20th-c. local crime reporting due to the fact that Saturday evening has been the peak time for homicides and similar crimes. Also likely to be enforced by the obsolete meaning of a cheap sale and usage of "Special" in the context of more powerful firearms like Colt Police Positive Special.

Noun

Saturday-night special (plural Saturday-night specials)

1. (US) An inexpensive, easily obtained handgun.

   Synonyms: junk gun, suicide special, Saturday-night pistol

2. (US, historical) An overnight weekend train.
3. (US, obsolete) A seasonal (usually October to December) sale on Saturday evening.
4. (US, slang, obsolete) A girl who can be dated easily on Saturday evenings.
5. (business, dated) An unexpected takeover bid that gives its opponents little time to respond.

See also

• dawn raid