Discussion euphemisms for death

[JessIsAlive]

idk if this is off topic or not, but i think it is because this helps me come to peace with dying/suicide and i wanted to share it

but i find metaphors/euphemisms for death within English and different cultures very interesting, for example, in Irish Gaeilge there is the phrase: "Tá sí imithe ar shlí na fírinne" ("She has gone down the path of truth") this is similar to saying "She passed away" in English
I like this way of thinking about death, when we commit suicide, we are just facing the ultimate truth, the inevitable end for all.
In Gaeilge, dying is also often described as "turning ones face towards Eternity" and "returning to where one came from."

This brings me much comfort as well to know an entire culture saw dying in this way, returning back to where we all came from, that original state of non-being which is pure Truth; the soul longs for eternity.

In the past in the English-speaking world, saying one had gone "over the hills and far away" to mean they had died was also quite common, and I think that is beautiful as well.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

There is, also, "sleeping with the fishes", "cashed it in", and "six feet under".

 

[JessIsAlive]

There is, also, "sleeping with the fishes", "cashed it in", and "six feet under".

I know, English is my native language
I find those ones to be more silly/crude than mystical/beautiful
but some contain so much wisdom, and they bring me catharsis about wishing to die, especially the ones in Gaeilge

 

[Forever Sleep]

'Kicking the bucket' is kind of a weird one. Just read up on the origin and it's pretty horrible actually. Refering to pigs kicking at their retraints in a slaughterhouse. Although there are other interpretations- hanging and kicking the bucket away they were standing on. Even gangsters setting enemies feet in a bucket of cement before dumping them in a lake! Doesn't sound quite such a light hearted euphemism now...

 

[JessIsAlive]

'Kicking the bucket' is kind of a weird one. Just read up on the origin and it's pretty horrible actually. Refering to pigs kicking at their retraints in a slaughterhouse. Although there are other interpretations- hanging and kicking the bucket away they were standing on. Even gangsters setting enemies feet in a bucket of cement before dumping them in a lake! Doesn't sound quite such a light hearted euphemism now...

I agree yeah, the ones in English are kinda crude and morbid

I always assumed "sleeping with the fishes" was a reference to when gangsters hide dead bodies in rivers and stuff

 

[Forever Sleep]

I agree yeah, the ones in English are kinda crude and morbid

I always assumed "sleeping with the fishes" was a reference to when gangsters hide dead bodies in rivers and stuff

Yeah, probably! Weird how we use these phrases without knowing what they mean. 'Break a leg' is another good one- although, not to do with dying of course. Funny though that we don't even question it's to wish someone luck- especially when performing. That came from the realms of acting originally. Actors who were waiting on the 'leg line' were out of work and not being paid- so, to hope they broke the leg (line) was to wish them well getting a job. I kind of like these obscure sayings though.

 

[2forgetmenot]

It's relatively simple, but I really like the word 'departed'. One word that could mean so much when talking about death

 

[avoid]

I enjoy thinking about the origin of euphemisms too, or idioms in general — not limited to death. As for death, here are some Dutch idioms.

[ NL ] Het hoekje om gaan.
[ EN ] To go around the corner.
It means to die because you don't be able to see the person anymore once he goes around the corner [of something such as a house].

[ NL ] De tol aan de natuur betalen.
[ EN ] Paying the toll to nature.
It means to die because you'll pay the toll charge by giving back your body to nature after having lived your life.

[ NL ] Jong en oud, op het eind wordt alles koud.
[ EN ] Young and old, in the end everything turns cold.
This one actually translates very well: word for word, including the rhyme. Probably no need to explain this one.

 

[JessIsAlive]

I enjoy thinking about the origin of euphemisms too, or idioms in general — not limited to death. As for death, here are some Dutch idioms.

[ NL ] Het hoekje om gaan.
[ EN ] To go around the corner.
It means to die because you don't be able to see the person anymore once he goes around the corner [of something such as a house].

[ NL ] De tol aan de natuur betalen.
[ EN ] Paying the toll to nature.
It means to die because you'll pay the toll charge for having lived your life by giving back your body to nature.

[ NL ] Jong en oud, op het eind wordt alles koud.
[ EN ] Young and old, in the end everything turns cold.
This one actually translates very well: word for word, including the rhyme. Probably no need to explain this one.

i love these, thanks for sharing

 

[avoid]

I enjoy thinking about the origin of euphemisms too, or idioms in general — not limited to death. As for death, here are some Dutch idioms.

[ NL ] De kraaienmars blazen.
[ EN ] Sound the crow march.
It means to die. It's a mix of two idioms. The first, sound the retreat. The second, two ancient Greeks expressions: walk to the ravens, and may the ravens devour your corpse. Together, it means to retreat back to the land of the dead.

[ BE ] Zijn bobijntje is afgelopen.
[ EN ] His bobbin has ended.
The bobbin holds the thread of fate, twined by the Norns [wiki] who are responsible for shaping the course of human destinies. If the start of the thread signifies your birth, the end signifies your death.

[ NL ] Met de schop op je rug lopen.
[ EN ] Walking with the shovel on your back.
It means to die soon.

[ NL ] Lopen op je laatste benen.
[ EN ] Walking on your last legs.
It means to be almost too tired to go on. You can also interpret it as death will come soon, but is more often used to emphasize that something or someone has resorting to its last bit of strength left.

[ NL ] Kleiner gaan wonen.
[ EN ] To live smaller / Moving to a smaller place.
Something to be said casually and light-hearted. Your smaller home is the coffin or urn.

 

[drraculaurra]

In french there's
Aller au septieme ciel : go to the seventh sky
sortir les pieds devant: to leave feets first
Passer l'arme à gauche : to put the weapon to the left (a bit hard to translate haha)

 

[chester]

I like "going to Belize", I can't remember if it was used in Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul though.

 

[Neowise]

Ohh, German has a LOT of those.

[ NL ] Het hoekje om gaan.
[ EN ] To go around the corner.
It means to die because you don't be able to see the person anymore once he goes around the corner [of something such as a house].

We have something similar, "jemanden um die Ecke bringen" aka "to get someone around the corner", but it means to kill somebody.
Otherwise:

German: "Den Löffel abgeben"
English: "To return the spoon"
Meaning: apparently spoons were difficult to manufacture back in the days and thus used for longer periods. When you died you didn't need a spoon anymore and basically gave it to someone else.

German: "seinen Geist aufgeben"
English: "to surrender one's ghost / spirit"
Fun fact: you can also say this about gadgets, electronics etc. that stopped working.

German: "Ins Gras beißen"
English: "bite the grass." (English has this for "bite the dust")

German: "einschlafen"
English: "to fall asleep"

German: "abnibbeln", "hopsgehen"
English: (not translatable, rather hilarous / funny way to say it)

German: "krepieren", "abkratzen"
English: (not translatable, rude way to say it)

German: "sich die Radieschen von unten ansehen"
English: "to look at the radish from down below." I love this one, it's kinda funny.

German: "vor Gottes Richterstuhl treten"
English: "to step infront of God's judgement seat"

German: "den Arsch zukneifen"
English: "to clench the ass"

German: "einen kalten Arsch kriegen"
English: "to get a cold ass"

German: "heimgehen"
English: "to go home"

German: "zu Staub werden"
English: "to become dust"

German: "seine letzte Reise antreten"
English: "to go on their last journey"

German: "bei Petrus anklopfen"
English: "to knock at Saint Peter's door"

There is so many more, if I posted all of them you guys would report me for spam lol.
https://www.duden.de/synonyme/sterben