flag gun

flag gun (plural flag guns)

1. (UK) A gun in an artillery train bearing a flag.
   • 1814, Edward Wedlake Brayley, The Beauties of England and Wales: or Original Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive, of Each County, volume 10, London, page 717:

     Major Lawrence returned answer, 'that the English colours were carried on the flag gun of their artillery, which if Mons. D'Aotenil would look out for, he might thence discover where the English were posted ; and that, although he was as unwilling as himself to spill European blood, yet if any shots came that way he should certainly return them.'

   • 2009 August 1, Christopher Jobson, Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army, Big Sky Publishing, →ISBN, →OL, page 55:

     Centuries ago the largest gun in an artillery train carried the equivalent of today's Queen's Colour and it was known as the “Colour” or “Flag Gun”.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:flag gun.
2. A humorous prop gun which unfurls a small flag when its trigger is pulled.
   • 2008 October 14, Mike, “Wanna know how I got these scars? They were $3.49 . . .”, in The Sockpuppet Asylum‎:

     "I'm going all out with the props. A rubber fish with a big smile, a bang flag gun, and a kazoo. . . ."

   • 2011 September 20, Dennis D’Alesandro, “Belknapʼs bizarro world at Rebekah Templeton”, in The Art Blog‎:

     I was waiting to be offered an exploding cigar and then shot with a bang flag gun!

   • 2011 October 15, Jesse Gaffney, “Bang-Flag gun”, in Theatre Projects‎:

     For Goodnight Moon there is a bit where one of the characters uses an old cartoon-y bang-flag gun.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:flag gun.

• (prop): novelty, prop

• TV Tropes: Bang Flag Gun