Annie Oakley

noun

An·​nie Oak·​ley ˌa-nē-ˈō-klē 

plural Annie Oakleys

: a free ticket

Did you know?

Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses (1860-1926) starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, where she astonished the crowds with feats of marksmanship such as shooting the spots out of playing cards. It wasn't long until her audience noticed that the shot-out card looked like a ticket that had been punched by a train conductor. By 1910, the name "Annie Oakley" was not only synonymous with sharp-shooting but with the ticket-playing card connection, and complimentary tickets have been "Annie Oakleys" ever since.

Examples of Annie Oakley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley and Howard Keel as Frank Butler. — Rich Heldenfels, Boston Herald, 3 May 2026

Kay learned to work the bolt and get into shooting position faster than Annie Oakley ever dreamed possible. — Robert V. Broadbent, Outdoor Life, 12 Feb. 2026

The last-minute Annie Oakley act does not alter that one whit. — The Editors, National Review, 30 Sep. 2024

To fully embrace cowboy culture, book a stay at Sheridan Inn, a historic property with rooms named after Buffalo Bill and some of the major characters in his life — including Annie Oakley, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Rough Riders. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2024

Uncovering the woman behind the legend Two years ago, for reasons lost to history, I was compared to Annie Oakley by one of my colleagues. — Sarah Schutte, National Review, 3 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Annie Oakley †1926 American markswoman; from the resemblance of a punched pass to a playing card with bullet holes through the spots

First Known Use

circa 1910, in the meaning defined above

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