What is the origin of the phrase “loose cannon”?
The origin of “loose cannon” comes from Victor Hugo’s last novel, Quatrevingt-treize (or “Ninety-Three” in English). In it, a sailor was negligent in not securing a cannon on board, causing it to be tossed about in a storm. The moral is, even in a storm, it’s not something outside of us that is capable of doing the worst damage, but what’s INSIDE of us. The novel was published in 1874, pre-dating the source suggested in Phrases.org also offered here by 16 years.
