Deadly Expressions: 9 Death Idioms
Talking about death can be tough, so people often use special phrases to make it easier. Here are nine common expressions about death, with simple explanations to help you understand them.
Kick the bucket
A funny way to say that someone has died.
He finally kicked the bucket at the age of 90.
We all have to kick the bucket someday.
Bite the dust
An informal or humorous way to say someone has died.
Another soldier bit the dust in the battle.
In the movie, the villain finally bit the dust.
Meet your maker
To die and go to heaven or the afterlife. Here the “maker” is of course, God.
He lived a good life, and now he’s gone to meet his maker.
She believed that when you die, you meet your maker.
Push up daisies
A funny way to say someone is dead and buried.
After the accident, he was pushing up daisies in no time.
Someday we’ll all be pushing up daisies.
Give up the ghost
To die, often suddenly.
He fought for weeks but finally gave up the ghost.
The machine kept working until it finally gave up the ghost.
Cross the rainbow bridge
A gentle way of saying that a pet has died.
We had to say goodbye to our dog; he crossed the rainbow bridge today.
After 15 years, our cat finally crossed the rainbow bridge.
Cash in your chips
Taken from gambling, it means someone has died, often in a humorous or casual way.
He lived a long life, and last week, he cashed in his chips.
When my time comes, I’ll cash in my chips with no regrets.
Checked out
A casual, sometimes irreverent way of saying someone has died.
He lived life on his terms, and then he checked out.
The old man finally checked out after a long battle with illness.
Sleep with the fishes
A saying that people think gangsters use, which means someone has been killed.
They said he disappeared, but everyone knows he’s sleeping with the fishes now.
In the movie, the villain threatened to make him sleep with the fishes.
