loose cannon

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

loose cannon (plural loose cannons)

1. (nautical) A cannon that breaks loose from its moorings on a ship during battle or storm, with the potential to cause serious damage to the ship and her crew.
2. (idiomatic, by extension) An uncontrolled or unpredictable person who causes damage to their own team, faction, political party, etc.
   • 2013, “Post Party Depression”, in Rogue Taxidermy, performed by Days N' Daze:

     Sooner or later this party gets busted and all your friends stumble back home
     But you're the loose cannon who could never be trusted so you'll hide from the cops all alone.

   Jack is considered a loose cannon due to his volatile personality and his track record of being unable to maintain his composure.

Translations

unpredictable person

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 脱だつ缰野马

• Czech: neřízená střela f
• Dutch: ongeleid projectiel n
• Estonian: ennustamatu käitumisega inimene
• Finnish: kävelevä katastrofi, arvaamaton ihminen
• French: électron libre (fr) m
• German: unberechenbarer Mensch, unkontrollierbarer Mensch, gemeingefährlicher Mensch
• Hungarian: elszabadult hajóágyú
• Italian: mina vagante
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: обезья́на с грана́той (ru) f (obezʹjána s granátoj) /lit: monkey with a grenade/
• Spanish: bala perdida
• Turkish: serseri mayın (tr)

Verb

loose cannon (third-person singular simple present loose cannons, present participle loose cannoning, simple past and past participle loose cannoned)

1. (idiomatic) To behave in a way such as to cause damage to one's own faction, political party, etc.
   • 2006, Gerry McCusker, Public Relations Disasters: Talespin--Inside Stories and Lessons Learnt, page 179:

     Gerald's loose cannoning triggered a volley of faithfully quoted media coverage which blasted a hole in his company's profits […]