popgun

On gala days the town fires its great guns, which echo like popguns to these woods, and some waifs of martial music occasionally penetrate thus far.

'So much the better, Mrs Quilp; these accidental parties are always the pleasantest,' said the dwarf, rubbing his hands so hard that he seemed to be engaged in manufacturing, of the dirt with which they were encrusted, little charges for popguns. 'What!

And they carry him off to load him with fairings; and he returns to Benjy, his hat and coat covered with ribbons, and his pockets crammed with wonderful boxes which open upon ever new boxes, and popguns, and trumpets, and apples, and gilt gingerbread from the stall of Angel Heavens, sole vender thereof, whose booth groans with kings and queens, and elephants and prancing steeds, all gleaming with gold.

In his hand he swayed a ferule, that sceptre of despotic power; the birch of justice reposed on three nails behind the throne, a constant terror to evil doers, while on the desk before him might be seen sundry contraband articles and prohibited weapons, detected upon the persons of idle urchins, such as half-munched apples, popguns, whirligigs, fly-cages, and whole legions of rampant little paper game-cocks.

Then, to my horror, he coolly stooped, placing candle and chair on the leads, and his hands in his pockets, as though it were but a popgun that covered him.

* "Big Shots or Popguns?" (Editors predict the end of gangster movies, August 15, 1931)

Their calls were so boisterous our initial shotgun blasts sounded like popguns going off

Herewith, some suggestions on how to stow, go and secure those precious popguns, including a few you might not already know about.

On the east side of the square, a row of stalls sold attractive pottery and hand-made wooden toys - pull-along trains, dolls and animals, along with cork-firing crossbows, old-fashioned popguns and wooden rapiers.

But the prop knows it will only be popguns compared to the real action on the frontline and he would love to make a trip to support the troops.

During his career, he served with some of the most famous army units, equipped with everything from 2lb anti-tank guns ("useless little popguns," as he remembered them) to nuclear warheads.

Certainly it's popguns at the ready, not heavy artillery.