Expression
|
Definition
|
Context
|
Remarks
|
---|---|---|---|
Assume room
temperature
|
To die
|
Euphemistic
slang
|
Used by talk
radio host Rush Limbaugh when dictator or avowed
enemy of US dies
|
At peace
|
Dead
|
Euphemistic
|
|
At rest
|
Dead
|
Polite
|
|
Belly up
|
Dead
|
Informal
|
Orientation
of dead fish
|
Beyond the grave
|
After death
|
Neutral
|
In ref to
communication with dead
|
Beyond the veil
|
The mysterious
place after death
|
Neutral
|
Orig used
to refer to the 'veil' that hid the Temple's Holy of Holies.
|
Bite the dust
|
To die or be
killed
|
Informal
|
Also means
'failed'
|
Bite the big one
|
To die
|
Informal
|
North American.
|
Born asleep
|
Stillbirth
|
Neutral
|
|
Breathe one's
last
|
To die
|
Literary
|
|
Brown bread
|
Dead
|
Slang
|
Cockney rhyming
slang.
|
Bought the farm
|
Died
|
Slang
|
Also, shortened
to 'bought it'
|
Cark-it
|
To die
|
Inf, version of 'croaked it'; common Ireland NZ Australia UK
|
The guy was
running, had a heart attack and carked it.
|
Cash in one's
chips
|
To die
|
Informal,
euphemistic
|
Redemption for
cash of gambling counters at the end
|
Candyman
|
Supernatural
suicide
|
TV/Movie
|
Say 'Candyman' 5
times looking in a mirror and he comes and kills you
with his hooked right hand
|
Charon
|
Ferryman of
Hades
|
Neutral
|
Crosses rivers Styx & Acheron that divide the worlds of living & dead
|
Come to a sticky
end
|
Die in an unpleasant way
|
Humorous
|
British. Also
'to meet a sticky end'.
|
Counting worms
|
Dead
|
Euphemistic
|
|
Croak
|
To die
|
Slang
|
|
Crossed the
Jordan
|
Died
|
Biblical/Revivalist
|
Deceased has
entered Promised Land (Heaven)
|
Curtains
|
Death
|
Theatrical
|
Final curtain at
a drama
|
Dead as a dodo
|
Dead
|
Informal
|
Ref extinct flightless bird, Mauritius
|
Dead as a
doornail
|
Obviously dead
|
Informal
|
Cf Dickens start Christmas Carol
|
Death by
Misadventure
|
Avoidable death
|
Formal/Legal
|
Death resulting
from risk-taking
|
Decapitation
|
Act of killing
by removal of head, usually with axe or other blade
|
Much-favoured
method of execution around the world. Notable egs include French
Revolution (guillotine) and Tudor times (axe).
|
|
Deleted
|
Murdered
|
Literary
|
|
Defenestration
|
Act of killing
by throwing out of a window
|
||
Departed
|
To die
|
Neutral
|
|
Destroyed
|
To die
|
Neutral
|
Usually refers
to animal euthanisation
|
Die with one's
boots on
|
To die while
able, or during activity, as opposed to in infirmity or asleep
|
Euphemistic
|
Old West usage: Die in gunfight, cf They Died with Their Boots On Also dying in combat. Brit; cf Iron Maiden Die
With Your Boots On
|
Didn't make it
|
Killed in action
|
Euphemistic
|
|
Done for
|
About to die
|
Neutral
|
|
Drop dead
|
Die suddenly
|
Neutral
|
also slang
aggressive dismissal
|
Dropping like
flies
|
Dying in droves
|
Simile
|
also falling ill
in numbers
|
Erased
|
Murdered
|
Literary
|
|
Euthanasia
|
Assisted suicide
|
Formal
|
|
Exterminate
|
Kill
|
Directive
|
Exclaimed by
Daleks (Dr Who) when ordered to kill
|
Extinct
|
When a species ceases to exist
|
Formal
|
|
Fading away
|
To be weakening
and close to death
|
Neutral
|
Also to be
'fading fast'
|
Fall off one's
perch
|
To die
|
Informal
|
|
Food for worms
|
Someone who is
dead
|
Slang
|
Also 'worm food'
|
Fratricide
|
Murder among
siblings
|
Formal
|
|
Free one's
horses
|
To die
|
Neutral
|
|
This blog collects together various maxims and sayings and facts about words, etc, of interest to me and hopefully to you.
20180320
Death and dying expressions from Wikipedia 1
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