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Zuotengdazuo Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary

"give sb an open shot" meaning?

Hi, dear teachers! I came across the phrase in Dan Brown's novel Angels and Demons and I don't konw what it means. The quotation goes like this:

“Langdon felt an uneasy premonition. Had the Hassassin arrived early?Had he come in a van? Langdon had imaged the killer escorting his last victim across the piazza on foot, like he had at St. Peter's, giving Langdon an open shot. But if the Hassassin had arrived in a van, the rule had just changed.”
Does it mean Langdon had a good view of the killer? Or somthing else? Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

An "open shot" or "clear shot" means that there was nothing in the way to stop a bullet aimed at a target.

— AlpheccaStars

  • An "open shot" or "clear shot" means that there was nothing in the way to stop a bullet aimed at a target.
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14 Answers
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An "open shot" or "clear shot" means that there was nothing in the way to stop a bullet aimed at a target.
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Oh, I get it. But the killer didn't shoot Langdon practically, according to the plot. So why did the writer use this phrase? Is it just Langdon's assumption?
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Langdon is looking for an opportunity to shoot the assassin and kill him.
He does not want to shoot the victim, other bystanders, or a lamppost, so he is looking for an open shot.
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You think Langdon wants to shoot the assassin? I don't think it's possible. I have read following plot to know that Langoon didn't want to kill the assassin beacause he wants important information regarding the whereabouts of Vittoria and the location of Illuminati Church. So I think you might have been wrong about the phrase?
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zuotengdazuoSo I think you might have been wrong about the phrase?
No, she is not. You may misunderstand the story, however. Your original quote says nothing about what Langdon wants to do.
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Ok, I get you. So what dI'd Langdon have in his mind after all? He thought he might get shot by the assasin? Or he is looking for an opportunity to shoot the assassin? I am confused now. Please let me know.
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" giving Langdon an open shot."

In that phrase, Landon is the one who is shooting.
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Thank you.Emotion: embarrassed But your interpretation still sounds weird to me because I know Langdon is a good guy so he couldn't have the tho
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zuotengdazuo I know Langdon is a good guy so he couldn't have the thought to shoot anyone
Policemen are being good guys when they shoot an assassin. They are protecting the public and innocent people.

Maybe Langdon wants to shoot the assassin, but not kill him, so he can capture the assassin.
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And one more question is troubling me: Does this phrase "give A an open shot" always mean "A can shoot sth without any obstruction" regardless of the context? Or it can mean "sth or sb else can shoot A without any obstruction in other context?
Sorry for so many questions. But I really want to understand it thoroughly.
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