# to die, death (euphemism/expressions)



## DrWatson

Hi,

Somehow gloomy topic but interesting, nonetheless. Since I've encountered many weird euphemisms for dying in Finnish, I started wondering what kind of periphrases are there in other languages. Here are the most common words for death and to die:

*kuolema *"death"
*kuolla *"to die"

And here are some euphemisms:

*heittää lusikka nurkkaan *"to throw a spoon in the corner"
*heittää veivinsä *"to throw one's crank handle"
*heittää henkensä *"to throw one's life" (_henki _can also mean breath or spirit)
*kupsahtaa* "to fall over" (used also as normally falling over, not necessarily meaning dying. Like the English "bite the dust")
*potkaista tyhjää *"to kick empty space"
*saada surmansa *"to get one's kill" (_surma_ means actually a sudden death, it comes from the name of Finnish mythological beast _Surma_, the guardian of the gate of _Tuonela_ (the Underworld). Similar to Cerberus in Greek mythology)
*siirtyä ajasta ikuisuuteen* (more solemn than the ones above) "to move from time to eternity"


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## BlueWolf

*tirare le cuoia *_to scretch the skin
_*andarsene* _to go away
_*passare a miglior vita* _to pass to better life
_*andare all'altro mondo* _to go to the other world
_*aver smesso di soffrire*_ to have finished to suffer
_
(Well, after all we Italians seem to be optimistics. )


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## Stéphane89

I know one or two in French:

*Passer l'arme à gauche*: To put the weapon on the left-side
*S'en aller*: To go
*Partir dans l'autre/dans un autre monde*: To leave for another world
*Etre parti*: To be gone
*Manger les pissenlits par la racine*: To eat roots of dandelions. _(Which can also be translated as: 'To be pushing up the daisies'). It is used for someone who is already dead and buried. Whereas the other ones are used rather for someone who is dying or had just died._


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## Setwale_Charm

to kick the bucket 
to go belly up
to go to one`s forefathers/to be gathered to the forefathers
to hand in one`s chips (that`s a bit BrE, I don`t know whether our brothers Americans use it)
to snuff it (the same doubt)
to peg out

I know a few in German as well:
*abkratzen*
*verrecken*
*ins Grass beissen*
Germans, correct me, if I am wrong!!

In Russian:
*Отправиться к праотцам* - to go to the forefathers
*Загнуться *- euphemism for "perish"
*Испустить дух* - to give off one`s spirit
*Скапуститься *- the origins or rather reasons for appearing are unknown to me but it is definitely derived from the word "капуста"- "cabbage"
*Окочуриться* - euphemism for "perish"
*Отбросить копыта*- (my favourite) - cast off one`s hooves
*Скопытиться*- the same
*Дать дуба* - lit. "to give the oak"
*Протянуть ноги* - to stretch one`s legs
*Приказать долго жить* - to order to live long (evidently implying that a dying person on his/her deathbed usually wishes everybody around a long and happy life).
*Уйти в мир иной/в лучший из миров* - to pass into the other world/to the better of the two worlds


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## DrWatson

Thanks for the answers!

And, I just remembered another one:

*mennä manan majoille *"to go to the huts of the abode of the dead" (*maja* means a hut in modern Finnish, but since the verb *majailla* means to dwell or to live, the word has probably once meant a dwelling place)


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## Chaska Ñawi

In addition to Setwale Charm's offerings, we have

to buy the farm
to pass away
to cash in one's chips (variation on BE version)
to go to the Happy Hunting Ground (dated)
to croak

In Spanish, a couple which I really like are:

hacerse calaca - to become a skeleton
colgar los tenis - hang up one's sneakers

You might enjoy this thread on euphemisms as well.


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## Grekh

I've never heard "hacer calaca" in spanish...

Some euphemisms are:

Estirar la pata : to strench one's leg
Irse (se ha ido): sb's gone
Pasar a mejor vida : to pass to a better life
Pasar a un mejor mundo: to pass to a better world
haber acabado de sufrir: to have finished suffering

I can't remember more at the moment..


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## Outsider

*ir desta para melhor*: to go from this to a better one
*esticar o pernil*: to stretch one's leg


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## Henryk

> I know a few in German as well:
> *abkratzen*
> *verrecken*
> *ins Grass beissen*
> Germans, correct me, if I am wrong!!


They aren't euphemisms, but rather pejorations.

Euphemisms:
das Zeitliche segnen
von uns gehen
in die ewigen Jagdgründe eingehen
den Tod erleiden
dahinscheiden
uns verlassen


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## optimistique

The normal Dutch verbs for to die:

*sterven
doodgaan
*
The euphemisms:

*De pijp aan Maarten geven* - To give the pipe to (Saint) Martin
*Het loodje leggen* - To lay down the small lump of lead (also means: to give up)
*Omkomen* 
*Om het leven komen *
*Verongelukken - *to 'accident away' (or something, if translated litterally)
*Ons verlaten  - *to leave us
*Het leven laten - *to leave life
*Vertrekken - *to leave, to depart
*Naar de eeuwige Jachtgronden trekken - *to go to the eternal hunting grounds  
*Het rijk der levenden achter zich laten - *to leave the kingdom of the living behind oneself
*Het leven achter zich laten - *to leave life behind
*Het opgeven -* to give up
*Op de hemelpoort kloppen - *to knock on heaven's door

The possibilities are endless...

Please note that some bear in them the cause of death or apply only in specific situations (like severe illness before death)


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## Chazzwozzer

*Turkish:
*
*death:* ölüm
*to die: *ölmek

*Euphemisms:

**eks olmak: *to become ex (widely used by doctors. Expression probably comes from _exitus letalis_.)
-Hastanız eks oldu. _(Your patient has become ex.)_

*hayatını kaybetmek:* to lose his/her life (possibly one of the most popular euphemisms in Turkish)
-Dedem hayatını kaybetti. _(My grandpa lost his life.)

_*kaybetmek:* to lose
-Onu kaybettik._ (We lost him.)

_ *rahmetli olmak:* to become sainted
-Geçen hafta rahmetli oldu. _(He/she became sainted last week.)

_*son uykusuna yatmak:* to go to his/her last sleep
-Adam son uykusuna yattı yatacak. (The man is about to go to his last sleep.)

*X'e kavuşmak: *to meet X (X could be anyone died before)
-Sevgili karısına kavuştu. (He met his beloved wife.)
*
ebedi istirahata dalmak:* to sail in eternal rest
-Kadın çok acı çekiyor. Edebi istirahata dalması onun için en iyisi olur. (The woman has suffered a great deal. To sail in the eternal rest would be the best for her.)

I'm sure there's still more of that.


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## Etcetera

In addition to Setwale_Charm's list of Russian euphemisms, I'd like to add these nice expressions:
*Сыграть в ящик* - literally, "to play into a box". I wonder myself where does this expression come from!
*Гигнуться *is the same as окочуриться. 

In Piedmontese, there's a beautiful expression - *Andé a la vritá*. It means 'to go to the Truth', i.e. 'to be dead'.


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## Raindog

Hi,one in spanish:

*-Irse al otro barrio* to go  to another neighbourhood


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## jazyk

In Portuguese (Brazil especially):
bater com as dez - to finish (one's game) with the ten cards (I think that's the origin)

And there was a comedy show, _Sai de Baixo_, some years ago that introduced _alguém subiu no telhado_ - someone went up the roof.
But I don't hear this very often any more.


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## Whodunit

Hendryk, I want to translate your suggestions, so that everyone understands them:


Henryk said:


> Euphemisms:
> das Zeitliche segnen - to bless the time (= to depart this life)
> von uns gehen - to leave us
> in die ewigen Jagdgründe eingehen - to enter the eternal hunting grounds
> den Tod erleiden - to suffer death (= to meet one's death)
> dahinscheiden - to pass away
> uns verlassen - to leave us


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## Fernita

Grekh said:


> I've never heard "hacer calaca" in spanish...
> 
> Some euphemisms are:
> 
> Estirar la pata : to strench one's leg
> Irse (se ha ido): sb's gone
> Pasar a mejor vida : to pass to a better life
> Pasar a un mejor mundo: to pass to a better world
> haber acabado de sufrir: to have finished suffering
> 
> I can't remember more at the moment..


 
Some others:
irse al otro mundo: to go to the other world.
dormirse para siempre: to fall asleep forever.
entregarse al dencanso eterno: to surrender oneself to the eternal rest


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## Maja

In Serbian (not necessarily euphemisms):

umreti - to die
preminuti -  to pass away
otegnuti papke - to stretch out hoof (it translates: to kick the  bucket)
riknuti (slang) - to roar 
riknjavela (slang) - variation of  "riknuti"
odapeti (colloq.) - to shoot (an arrow) / to fire (a rifle) / to  release (a bow)

there may be more...


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## Setwale_Charm

There is also a Russian word *ухайдокать* but that means rather "to kill", "to do away with". I am not sure whether the passive can be formed from it.


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## Setwale_Charm

And for Italian I have heard one expression only:  
*tirare la cuoia*


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## MingRaymond

An interesting one in Cantonese
去咗賣鹹鴨蛋。(have gone to sell salty duck eggs)


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## Setwale_Charm

MingRaymond said:


> An interesting one in Cantonese
> 去咗賣鹹鴨蛋。(have gone to sell salty duck eggs)


 
!!!! Amazing! Where does it come from? How were salty duck eggs at fault?!


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## MingRaymond

Setwale_Charm said:


> !!!! Amazing! Where does it come from? How were salty duck eggs at fault?!


 
Actually, it is because in the old times, people will put some ashes in the coffin, when you make salty duck eggs, you also use ashes.


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## LeMakiyo

I know another two in Hokkien (a Chinese dialect): 虾米 (dried shrimp) or 虾 (shrimp / prawn)

E.g. Mr. Smith has died = Mr. Smith 虾了 / Mr. Smith 虾米了 = Mr. Smith has already died


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## Etcetera

Setwale_Charm said:


> *Отбросить копыта*- (my favourite) - cast off one`s hooves


I was reminded yesterday of a variant of this phrase:
*Отбросить коньки*.
Коньки is the Russian for skates.


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## Outsider

Just remembered another one:

*bater as botas*: to beat one's boots.


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## Vanda

Another one:
Ir para o andar de cima - go to the upstairs floor.


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## ireney

Greek (all "i"s as in ink, all "a"s as in ant, all "o"s as in omnipresent, th as in theatre)

*έχασα, χάσαμε* (ehassa, hassame) I lost, we lost 

*πήγε στα θυμαράκια *(pige sta thymarakia) he went to the thymes

*πήγε στα κυπαρίσσια* (pige sta kyparissia) he went to the cypress trees

*πήγε καλία του* (dialect) (pige kalia tou) he went to his good (bad english there but there you have it)

*βλέπει τα ραδίκια ανάποδα* (vlepi ta radikia anapoda) he sees the chicories upside down (of the  radicchio kind)

*τίναξε τα πέταλα* (tinaxe ta petala) he kicked his horseshoes
*τα τίναξε* (ta tinaxe) (probably abbr of the one above) he kicked them (it in English I suppose)

*πήγε στον άλλο κόσμο* (pige ston alo kosmo) he went to the other world

*είναι μακαρίτης* (ine makarιtιs) he is a blessed one

*μας άφησε χρόνους *(mas afisse hronous) he left us times (go figure this one!)

*κοιμήθηκε* (kimithike) he slept (usually used for saints and such)

*έφυγε από τον μάταιο τούτο κόσμο *(efyge apo ton mateo touto kosmo) he left that vain/futile world

*έσβησε το καντήλι του* (esvisse to kandili tou) his candle was extinguished

*κόπηκε το νήμα της ζωής του* kopike to nima tiw zois tou The thread of his life was cut


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## Setwale_Charm

Hey, I have remembered one more in *English*:
  to give up the ghost.


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## gao_yixing

Chinese: 
逝世(shi shi)， for a prominent person， similar with 去世(qu shi).
仙逝（xian shi)， litarally die and become saint, for a very great person who lives a reclusive life.
升天（sheng tian), literally rise to the heaven.
葬身(zang shen), literally bury one's body, generally used with a place, e.g., 葬身鱼腹, die in the abdomen of fishes, means die drowning.
辞世（ci shi), literally say goodbye to the world.
牺牲（xi sheng)， sacrifice, for people who died in the battlefield or for their country.
圆寂（yuan ji), for a Buddhist monk or nun.
就义（jiu yi)， for a hero/heroine who was killed in execution ground.
翘辫子（qiao bian zi), literally the pigtail heads toward. a humorous phrase for the death of infamous people.
挂了(gua le)， a very humorous expression.
There are many more....


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## Tolovaj_Mataj

*Slovene:*

umreti - to die
preminiti- to pass away
večno zaspati - to iternally fall asleep
izgubiti poslednjo/zadnjo bitko - to loose last fight (after a long or fatal illness)
oditi na drugi svet - to leave for the other world
za vedno smo ga/jo izgubili - we, who are still alive have lost him/her forever

Matilda je prišla ponj/ponjo - Matilda has come for him/her
gospa s koso ga/jo je obiskala - the lady with a scythe has visited him/her 
(the last two must have come from some European mithology, where a lady with a scythe called Matilda, portaited like a woman skeleton walks around and cuts people.)

negative:
crkniti - to kick the bucket; 
stegniti se - to stretch oneself
pobralo ga/jo je - he/she was picked up/collected


So much I remember now....


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## Tolovaj_Mataj

ireney said:


> *κόπηκε το νήμα της ζωής του* kopike to nima tiw zois tou The thread of his life was cut


This one is also known here in Slovenia, but it's very literary, for necrologs. Of course, it comes from the old Greek mithology: _Kloto_ who spins thread of life and one day cuts it off.

_Življenja nit se mu/ji je pretrgala._ The life thread of his/hers has cut off.


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## sound shift

To shuffle off this mortal coil
To snuff it (colloquial)
To buy it ("He bought it when a ME-111 crept up on his tail and opened fire" - sorry to talk about the War and all that!)
To go to the big [insert word] in the sky
To conk out (very colloquial)
To breathe one's last


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## Venezuelan_sweetie

There are some more in Spanish:

In the sense of going to "heaven":
- *Ir a ver a San Pedro* => Go meet St. Peter.
- *Irse al piso de arriba* => Go to the upper floor.
- *Pasar a mejor vida* => Go to a better life.
- *Irse a la gloria* => Go to the glory/heaven.
- *Seguir la luz* => Follow the light.

More like "down to earth":
- *Enfriarse* => Get cold.  It is more often used when referring to a murder: "lo enfriaron".
- *Salir con los pies por delante* => Hard one!  It's like "to come out of the room with his/her feet forwards/in front"... See, when people die, they are taken out horizontally, so...   
- *Tirarse tres (pedos)* <_vulgar_> => Literally, fart three times.  (Sorry, that's the expression  ) Here they have this odd belief, that when people die, they actually "break winds" three times...
- *Colgar los chanclos/tenis* => Hang up the sandals/tennis shoes.
- *Yacer 4 metros bajo tierra* => Rest/lie 6 feet under.
- *Dar el último suspiro* => Let out the last breath.
-* Apagar la luz* => Turn off the light.
- *No figurar/matricular* (en el año nuevo) => Hard to explain, sorry.


People also say "El señor José *ya no se encuentra entre nosotros*..." => "Mr. Smith is no longer with us..."

There must be some more, but I just can't remember (luckily! )


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## Bienvenidos

I love the Persian language because it's really humorous. Very, very, very, VERY informal ways to elude to death:

*
Yegtarafa šowi *(May you flip over)*

Zamin cokšowa y bofti  *(May the ground split open and you fall in)*

Zira zamin goršowi* (May you be buried underground)*

Zira zamin bofti *(May you fall underground)

*Asmân sarit tâ šowa *(May the sky fall on you)*
Qoda tura bobora* (May God take you away)


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## gao_yixing

It seems that I can't edit my post. So....
More Chinese:
上西天(shang xi tian) or 去西天(qu xi tian)， literally go to West Heaven(it's from Buddhism).
见上帝(jian shang di)， to meet the God.
见阎王爷(jian yan wang ye)，to meet the hell God.
去黄泉（qu huang quan), literally go to the yellow spring, it's a symbol of the hell.
见马克思(jian ma ke si), to meet Karl Marx. This is a quotation of Mao Tzetung, and has become a humorous way to describe a death of communist party member.
没了(mei le), literally to disappear.
To be continued..


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## ameana7

We can add a few to Turkish ones:

"Öbür tarafa gitmek/ Öbür tarafı boylamak": Go to the otherside

A very informal one

"Nalları dikmek": to kick the bucket

I cannot remember more..


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## Lingua_seele

The direct way to say "he/she died" in Cherokee is ᎦᎵᏬᎩ - galiwogi.  You'd say this about an animal, for example, but it can also be used for people.  The euphemism that's typically used is ᎤᏰᏲᎱᏎᎴᎢ - uyeyohusele'i: "he/she lost it (his/her life)"


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## HUMBERT0

Others in Spanish, in my country:

Está a 3 metros bajo tierra / he is 6 feet under
Se petateó / Petate is a bedroll made of palm fibers, and also before the use of coffins people would be rolled in one them and buried.
Se nos fue / He left us
Está tiruto / He is dead
Era / He was
Se llamaba / He used to have a name
Se fue al cielo / He went to heaven
Cuando en vida / When he was alive
Pasó a major vida / he pass to a better life.


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## Orlin

Bulgarian:
(да) умра/ умирам - to die
Euphemisms:
- (да) почина - "to rest"
- (той) вече не е срeд нас - (he) is no longer among us
- (той) вече не е сред живите - (he) is no longer among the living
- (той) ни напусна - (he) left us
And others.
Informal: (той) хвърли топа/ ритна камбаната - (he) kicked the bucet


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## Mahaodeh

In Arabic you have several words for death:

مات = maata = to die (general).
نفق = nafaqa = to die (for animals only).
توفي = towoofiiya = to die (polite)
هلك = halaka = to die (implying a bad ending, so it's not very polite)

As for Euphemisms, there is also quite a few of them:

لفظ أنفاسه الأخيرة = lafaTHa anfaasahu il-akhiira = he extracted/exhaled his final breaths
نام نومته الأبدية = naama nawmatahu il-abadiyya = he slept his eternal sleep
قابل\لقي ربه = qaabala/laqiiya rabbahu = he met his god
تلقى حسابه = talaqqa Hisaabahu = he recieved his final judgement.
رحمه الله = raHimahu Allah = God has given mercy on him or may God have mercy on him.
أسلم الروح = aslama ar-rooH = he surendered his soul.
فاضت روحه = faaDat rooHuhu = his soul departed from him.
ذهب إلى الآخرة = thahaba ila al-aakhira = he went to the final (other) world.
ذهب إلى دار حقه = thahaba ila daari Haqqih = he went to his rightful/true home (in the other world, either heaven or hell).

There are others, but I suppose these are the most important.


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## Maroseika

One more Russian:
Склеить ласты (To glue the flippers together).


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## Encolpius

Hello, there are also many idioms in Hungarian as well, I'd list the most common and most interesting ones: 

feldobja a talpát = throw up one's sole
beadja a kulcsot = hand in the key
fűbe harap = bite the grass
my favourite: alulról fogja szagolni az ibolyát = he's going to smell the violet from below


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## Nizo

In *Esperanto* the normal word for “to die” is _morti_.  Probably the most common euphemism is _forpasi_ (to pass away).  Another option is _estingiĝi_, to become extinguished.


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## ThomasK

Henryk said:


> They aren't euphemisms, but rather pejorations.


 
You're right, but then we call them dysphemisms, I believe. But the fun part of all this is the metaphors, isn't it, and/ or the imagination.

_(This is a huge success. I have collected all those expressions and ordered them. If interested, you can get the Word version by sending me a PM containing your e-mail address; I consider studying them a little and finding out the main kinds of metaphors, but not now...)_


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## ThomasK

One more from Dutch : 
- *de geest geven* 
See _give up the ghost_, Finnish *heittää henkensä *"to throw one's life" (_henki _can also mean breath or spirit), which are probably all referring to *spirit*, i.e., *breath* etymologically (or am I mistaken?), as in_ spirometer, inspiration_, ... 

In the meantime I focussed on those expressions and tried to draw some conclusions (maybe too much of a personal interpretation, additions welcome ) 
- *Sleeping*, *resting*
o C.q. to become cold
o Stopping (playing cards, ...)
- *Disappearing* 
o C.q.: no longer among us, being missed, emptiness
- Being *buried*, simply, or being buried into ... (Chinese)
o Falling, biting the dust, the grass, ... 
- *Leaving* (vanity, ...)
o (for another World) sometimes implying the ultimate, final world (eternity, home, hunting grounds ?), sometimes suggested by metonymy (thymes, cypresses, ...), often up  
o Judgment, often resulting in a new status (holiness, ...) 
- and then *meeting* new people (God, God of hell, ...), knocking at a door
- *Breaking off* something (thread, candle extinguished, ...)
- *Losing*/ giving up things (body but s’times other things, in special ways, by kicking *off*, kicking *away*, ..) throwing, giving away, ...), even a name
o C.q. losing breath, stopping breathing, losing one’s soul (probably related)
o C.q. being reduced to ... (ashes, a shrimp)
o C.q. Cashing in, buying, ... 
- the World *turned upside down*: inversion (sword on the wrong side, looking from below)


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## Anatoli

Maroseika said:


> One more Russian:
> Склеить ласты (To glue the flippers together).



Russian euphemisms, not slang: most common: *скончаться* (to finish, only in the sense of dying),  *представиться* (to present oneself, here: as to God), *отдать богу душу* (to give away (one's) soul to God), *приказать долго жить* (to order to live long), *почить в бозе* (to sleep in God, old grammar)

There are some more but I can't think of right now.


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## Frank78

German:

den Löffel abgeben - give away the spoon
in Gras beißen - bite into the grass
über den Jordan gehen - cross the river Jordan
die letzte Reise antreten - start the last journey
dran glauben müssen - have to believe in it 
sich die Radieschen von unten ansehen - look at the radish from below
in the ewigen Jagdgründe gehen- go to the eternal hunting grounds
vor den Schöpfer treten - step in front of the creator
die Gardinen zuziehen - close the curtains
flöten gehen - go piping (not sure if the German comes from the instrument)
das Leben aushauchen - exhale life

These are the most common ones, I think.


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## Bigote Blanco

Bought the farm(my personal favorite, previously mentioned by chaska) I guess his number was up. 
He bit the dust.
He threw in the towel. 
He went six foot under
He went deep six.
Gone to the deep. 
He gave up the ghost.
He took his last breath. 
The sun set on him yesterday. 
Saw his last sunset.
Rode off into the sunset.
His ticker stopped ticking. 
He gave up the ship.
Took his last breath.
Said his last goodbye


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## ThomasK

Anatoli said:


> Russian euphemisms, not slang: most common: *скончаться* (to finish, only in the sense of dying),  *отдать богу душу* (to give away (one's) soul to God).


 Some questions
 - is *дух* the same as *душу* (I suppose these are different cases of a word, because the latter was mentioned and translated as 'spirit', here you refer to 'soul' - which would not be astonishing)
 - how can you use *скончаться* in other contexts, or what is the precise meaning of 'finish' here ?


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## ThomasK

Bigote Blanco said:


> Bought the farm(my personal favorite, previously mentioned by chaska) I guess his number was up.


 
What could the buying be about, BB? Someone else referred to buying the farm. How come, as generally dying is associated with losing ?


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## ThomasK

Maroseika said:


> One more Russian:
> Склеить ласты (To glue the flippers together).


 
I would like to know: why 'to glue the flippers' - or is it the slippers (shoes)? If the flippers, then why: we are not fish - or is it some way of saying we won't be needing them to move ? The slippers might refer to the same underlying idea: there is no need for walking anymore...


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## rusita preciosa

ThomasK said:


> Some questions
> - is *дух* the same as *душу* (I suppose these are different cases of a word, because the latter was mentioned and translated as 'spirit', here you refer to 'soul' - which would not be astonishing)
> - how can you use *скончаться* in other contexts, or what is the precise meaning of 'finish' here ?


*дух* /dukh/ and *душa* /dusha/ (also *воздух* /vozdukh/ - air) have the same root meaning spirit/soul/air. Most often *дух*=spirit and *душa*=soul, but sometimes they are interchangeable.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned in this thread before but another Russian euphemism for dying is also *иcпуcтить дух* /ispustit' dukh/ - let out the spirit/soul.

BTW, the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost in Russian is *Cвятой* *Дух* /sviatoy dukh/.


ThomasK said:


> I would like to know: why 'to glue the flippers' - or is it the slippers (shoes)? If the flippers, then why: we are not fish - or is it some way of saying we won't be needing them to move ? The slippers might refer to the same underlying idea: there is no need for walking anymore...


 
I guess in Russian there's overall theme of not needing to walk/swim: as mentioned before, we say "glue the flippers (not slippers) together", "kick off skates", "kick off hooves". The first two are recent (I'd say, used only in the last 30-50 years).


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## ThomasK

One last thing: those are two separate words then... But yes, you did mention it (I have it in my list !)

Thanks a lot. I did not know the Russians swam that often !;-) Sorry for misguessing !

JanG


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## Awwal12

Hm... looks like the Russian "сыграть в ящик" /sygr*a*t' v y*a*shchik/ [səgr'atʲ v j'aɕ:ɪk] (perfective form for "to play box") still wasn't mentioned.


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## rusita preciosa

ThomasK said:


> - how can you use *скончаться* in other contexts, or what is the precise meaning of 'finish' here ?


I forgot to address this Q.
The word itself *скончаться */skonchatsya/ is only used for "to die". It has the same root as *кончать* /konchat'/ meaning "to end", "to finish" (transitive) and the reflexive *кончаться* /knochatsya/ meaning "to come to an end/to end" (intransitive).


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## federicoft

Some Italian ones
-_spegnersi_ (to fade away); probably the most common one
-_scomparire_ (to disappear)
-_spirare_ (to breath one's last)
-_andarsene_ (to go away, to leave)
-_passare a miglior vita_ (to pass to a better life)
-_trovare la pace _(to find one's peace)
-_andare a Patrasso_ (to go to Patras)
-_abbandonare questa valle di lacrime_ (to leave this valley of tears)
-_andare nel mondo dei più _(to go to the world of the majority)
-_andare al Creatore_ (to go to the Creator)
-_andare a sentir cantare i grilli _(to go listen to the crickets sing)

these ones are not exactly euphemistic, they are rather humorous, informal or slang:
-_tirare le cuoia_ (to stretch the leather)
-_tirare il calzino_ (to pull the sock)
-_crepare_ (to crack up)
_-lasciarci le penne _(to leave one's feathers)
-_vedere l'erba dalla parte delle radici _(to look at the grass from the roots' side)


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## ThomasK

Awwal12 said:


> Hm... looks like the Russian "сыграть в ящик" /sygr*a*t' v y*a*shchik/ [səgr'atʲ v j'aɕ:ɪk] (perfective form for "to play box") still wasn't mentioned.


 
But what could that mean, Awwal ? And: I can quite understand ending as dying, but desperately try to find a parallel in FEGD. It has no direct object, does it? 

The Italian ones are quite nice, Fredericoft !


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## Explorer41

Anatoli said:


> *представиться* (to present oneself, here: as to God),


It should be "преставиться".


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## catlady60

Also, in English:

*to meet one's maker
to take a dirt nap
to push up daisies

*


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## Fericire

jazyk said:


> In Portuguese (Brazil especially):
> bater com as dez - to finish (one's game) with the ten cards (I think that's the origin)
> 
> And there was a comedy show, _Sai de Baixo_, some years ago that introduced _alguém subiu no telhado_ - someone went up the roof.
> But I don't hear this very often any more.



Also: _bater as botas _and _ir desta para uma melhor _(these are more common, ain't they?).
_Bater as botas _= "Kick the bucket".
_Ir desta para uma melhor = _"To leave (this life/situation/etc) for a better one"


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## francisgranada

Some more *Hungarian*:

_örök álmát alussza_ - he "sleeps" his eternal dream (to sleep can be used in Hungarian also in trasitive mood)
_jobb létre szenderült_ - he has fallen asleep to a better existence
_megtért őseihez _- he turned bach to his ancestors
_aluĺról szagolja az ibolyát _- he smells the violet from below
_kileheltle lelkét_ - he expired ("breathed out") his soul
_eltávozott e siralom völgyéből _- he leaved this valley of tears
_békében nyugszik_ - he rests in peace
_meglelte nyugalmát _- he found his calm/tranquillity 
_utolsókat rúgja_ - he is kicking the lasts (he's dying)
_Istenben megnyugszik_ - he quiets (down) in God


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## Dragonseed

In Chinese I have also heard:
- 他走了 (literally, "he walked away")
- 他回去了, 他回家了 (literally, "he went back", "he went home")


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## AquisM

More in Chinese (all literary):

仙游/仙遊 - lit. to travel to the fairies/spirits
宾天/賓天 - lit. to visit the heavens
驾崩/駕崩 - used only for the Emperor in the olden days - lit. the (Emperor's) carriage has broken
长眠/長眠 - lit. to sleep forever
与世长辞/與世長辭 - lit. to say goodbye to the world forever


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## fotorolkokertje

I remember a few Dutch euphemisms for being buried, but they are a bit harsh and are said about someone you don't like.

*Peter ligt de maaien te voeren*: Peter is feeding the maggots
*Peter is een zandfabriek begonnen*: Peter has founded a sand factory


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## fdb

In Persian (classical Persian at least) the common term is na-mānd “he/she did not remain”.


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## 涼宮

In *Japanese* there is a good bunch of them . Let's get started!

The main verb to say ''to die'' is 死ぬ _shinu_. Not all of them are verbs and some of them are related to Buddhism. 

１) 世を去る _yo wo saru_* to leave the world*
2) 鬼籍に入る _kiseki ni iru_ *enter to the devil/ghost*
3) あの世に行く _ano yo ni iku_ *go to the other world*
4) 冥土へ旅立つ _meido he tabidatsu_*to begin a trip to the Hades* (Buddh)
5)不帰の客 _fuki no kyaku_ *a guest of no returning* 
6)三途の川を渡る _sanzu no kawa wo wataru_ *go across the Sanzu River* (Buddh) (Sanzu River equivalent to River Styx)
7)死者の列に加わる _shisha no retsu ni kuwawaru _*be added to the line of dead people*
8)亡き数に入る _naki ni kazu ni ireru_ *to include in the number of the deceased *
9)帰らぬ人となる _kaeranu hito to naru_ *become a non returning person*
10)天に召される _ten ni mesareru_ *to be summoned to heaven*
11) 棺桶に入る _kanoke ni hairu_ *to enter to the coffin* 
12)屍をさらす _kabane wo sarasu_ *to bleach the corpse*
13) 先立つ _sakidatsu_ *to go before*
14) 旅立つ _tabidatsu_ *to begin a trip*
15) 死出の旅に出る _shide no tabi ni deru_ *to go to your last journey*
16) 命の火が消える _inochi no hi ga kieru_ *to vanish your life's flame*
17) お陀仏 _odabutsu_ something like *steep death* (Buddh)
18)  崩御する _hougyo suru_ *to do the honorable crumble* (this is used when the emperor dies)
19) 人生の幕を下ろす_ jinsei no maku wo orosu_ *to lower the curtain of life *
20) 朽ち果てる _kuchi hateru_ *rot away*
21) 花と散る _hana to chiru_ *to fall with the flowers* (when you have a noble death)
22) 露と消える _tsuyu to kieru _*to vanish with the dew*
23)逝く _iku_ *to go* (but it means to die when it's written with the kanji 逝く and not 行く)
24) 永眠する _eimin suru_ *to do the eternal sleep*
25) 果てる _hateru_ *to end *
26)命を落とす _inochi wo otosu _*lose one's life*
27) 息を引き取る _iki wo hikitoru _*to withdraw your breath*
28) 息が絶える _iki ga taeru_ *to cease breathing *
29) 衝天する _shouten suru_ *to do the Ascension *
30) 大往生を遂げる _daioujou wo togeru_ *to consummate one's life big journey*. (this is used when you die peacefully)
31) 成仏する _joubutsu suru_ *to enter Nirvana*
32) 仏になる _hotoke ni naru_ *to become a buddha*
33) 没する _bossuru_ *to sink*
34) 他界する _takai suru_ *to do the other world*
35) 入滅 _nyuumetsu_ *perish-entering* (death of Buddhist saint)
36) 仏様になる _hotokesama ni naru_ *to become a buddha* (more formal)
37) 安らかに眠る _yasuraka ni nemuru_ *to sleep peacefully*
38) 天寿を全う _tenju wo mattou_ *to fulfill heavens's longevity* (this is used when you have lived a long time and you die)
39) 夭折する _yousetsu suru_ *break early death * (this is used when a young person dies)


I hope it was interesting


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## Testing1234567

[Moderator's note: Merged with a previous thread]
In the thread death, murder we have seen how people around the world say "death" and "murder".

However, what I'm interested in is how people get around saying death by itself, i.e. *euphemism of death / to die*.

I'll start with English "to pass away" and Chinese "逝世" (literally: leave the world).


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## KalAlbè

In (American) English, there are a ton of them, but I'll only list a couple:
- bit the dust
- went to a better place
- met his/her maker
- pushing up daisies (more humorous) 
- checked out


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## KalAlbè

Haitian Creole:
Ale nan peyi san chapo = literally: go to the land of no hats
kase kòd = his/her rope broke


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## Nawaq

others in *French*:

_rendre l'âme_, lit. "to give one's soul away"
_s'éteindre_, "to die out", lit. more like "turning off (the light)"
_s'endormir (pour toujours)_, "to fall asleep (forever)"
 just a "funny" one, not much used these days:
_avaler son extrait de naissance_ "to swallow one's birth certificate"


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## ilocas2

KalAlbè said:


> - bit the dust



Blimey! So the Queen's song Another one bites the dust means Another one dies. One learns something new in this forum every day.


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## Testing1234567

I remember a line in Magic Flute (German):

//Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,
Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!
Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen,
so bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr:
Verstoßen sei auf ewig, verlassen sei auf ewig,
zertrümmert sei’n auf ewig alle Bande der Natur,
*wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird erblassen*! –
Hört, hört, hört! Rachegötter – hört! – der Mutter Schwur!//

Literally: If not through you Sarastro will *turn pale
*
Here, "turn pale" (erblassen) is used as a euphemism of "die", but I'm not sure if it is used this way in German nowadays.


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## 810senior

In Japanese, 眠りにつくnemurini tsuku (to fall asleep [for eternity]) and 旅立つtabidatsu(to set out on a journey [to heavens]), or else simply 逝くiku (to go), which might remind you of pass away in English.


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## eno2

(Moderator note: Thread merged with the previous one.)

Hi,
Kick the bucket. Idioms and expressions for dying. Not about dying, but for dying.
Perhaps a bit macabre but I'd like to know in my languages before I round the corner.

Dutch
'Het hoekje omgaan' is the same 'as round the corner'.


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## Frank78

Some from German:

"ins Gras beißen" = to bite into the grass
"den Löffel abgeben" = to cede/give up the spoon
"die Radieschen von unten angucken" = look at the radish from below
"über den Jordan gehen" = to cross the River Jordan
"in die ewigen Jagdgründe gehen" = go to the eternal hunting ground
"den Arsch zu machen" = shut your ass
"die Hufe hochmachen" = lift your hooves up


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## eno2

Frank78 said:


> "the Arsch zu machen" = shut your ass


 

Dutch: je laatste adem uitblazen  = take your last breath


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## Olaszinhok

*Italian:
tirare le cuoia *- something like to stretch leather *cuoia* is the irregual plural of* il cuoio* leather/hide


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## eno2

Dutch:

De pijp uit gaan.
This could be  go down the (drain )(pipe), I'm not sure.  Literally 'leave the pipe'


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## Dymn

*Spanish*:

_morder el polvo _- "to bite the dust"
_irse al otro barrio _- "to go to the other neighbourhood"


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## eno2

Dymn said:


> *Spanish*:
> 
> _morder el polvo _- "to bite the dust"


 Astonishing.
Controlling this one:
result  1
_<hacer morder el polvo a uno_ con el significado de "rendirle, vencerle en la pelea, matándole o derribándole". >Not the same...

  tres otros resultados : Todos hablan de <Hacerle “morder el polvo” a alguien significa vencerlo,>
So: no es necesariamente morir.


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## Circunflejo

Spanish: irse a criar malvas (to go to grow malvas; if that makes any sense)
Estirar la pata (to stretch the leg). Pata is colloquial for leg but I don't know if there's a colloquial way to say leg in English.
Salir con los pies por delante (to go out with your feet ahead (of you)).

Not an expression but there's also espicharla (from the verb espichar; colloquially, to die).


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## eno2

It hasn't to be an expression. 
Espicharla: 

Nosotros usamos la expresión salir con los pies por delante también, sobre todo cuando queremos afirmar que no vamos quitar una locación de manera voluntaria, que nos quedaremos.: tendrán que salirnos de aquí con los pies por delante....(Dutch)   Ze zullen mij /ons met de voeten vooruit moeten buitendragen hier.


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## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Βλέπω τα ραδίκια ανάποδα»* [ˈvle.pɔ ta ɾaˈði.ca aˈna.pɔ.ða] --> _to see the chickory upside down_
*«Σηκώνω Παναμαϊκή»* [siˈkɔ.nɔ pa.na.ma.iˈci] --> _to raise the Panamanian (flag is omitted)_ (i.e. to set sail)
*«Τραβάω την πρίζα»* [traˈva.ɔ tiɱ ˈbri.za] --> _to unplug the socket_
*«Τινάζω τα πέταλα»* [tiˈna.zɔ ta ˈpe.ta.la] --> _to twitch the horseshoes_
*«Πάω καλειά μου»* [ˈpa.ɔ kaˈʎa mu] --> _to go to work_ («καλειά» is the contraction of «*κά*νω δου*λειά*»: _to do work_ and is used only in this idiom)
*«Κορτώνω τον ούρον»* [kɔrˈtɔ.nɔ tɔn ˈuɾ.ɔn] --> _to splay the tail_ (Cypriot idiom; the image is taken from cats, when they die they spread out the tail)
*«Φοράω ξύλινες πιτζάμες»* [fɔˈɾa.ɔ ˈks͜i.li.nes piˈʣ͜a.mes] --> _to wear wooden pyjamas_ or
*«Φοράω ξύλινο παλτό»* [fɔˈɾa.ɔ ˈks͜i.li.nɔ palˈtɔ] --> _to wear (a) wooden coat_ (wooden pyjamas/coat is the coffin)
*«Κακαρώνω»* [ka.kaˈɾɔ.nɔ] --> _to die_ (it's found much more often in aorist: *«κακάρωσε»* [kaˈka.ɾɔ.se] --> _s/he died_; the v. is the modern reduplication of the ancient v. *«καρόω/καρῶ» kăróō* (uncontracted)/*kărô* (contracted) --> _to plunge into a deep sleep, stupefy, anasthesize_)
*«Παραθερίζω στα πευκάκια»* [pa.ɾa.θeˈɾi.zɔ sta pefˈka.ca] --> _to vacation at the pine trees_


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## eno2

Κορτώνω: not in WR. Not in Wikileksikó.

Some funny ones  *«Φοράω ξύλινες πιτζάμες»   *and a poetic one (*«Παραθερίζω στα πευκάκια*

Please no, no work after death: *Πάω καλειά μου*

Some are about being dead, not about dying.


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## Penyafort

*Catalan*

*aclucar els ulls *- close your eyes​*anar al clot (o al sot) *- go to the hole​*anar-se'n al calaix (o al canyet) *- go to the crate (or to the dead beast pit)​*anar a sopar amb Déu (o amb sant Pere) *- go to dine by God (or by saint Peter)​*anar-se'n a l'altre barri (o a l'altre món)* - go to the other neighbourhood (or the other world)​*batre (*_o_* estirar) l'ala (*_o_* els peus) *- beat your wing / your feet​*donar l'ànima a Déu *- give your soul to God​*fer el darrer badall (o sospir) *- make the last yawn (or sigh)​*fer l'ànec (o fer nyec) *- make the duck (or the duck sound)​*passar a millor vida *- pass to better life​*plegar gàbies *- fold topsails​*pujar al cel *- go up to heaven​*tancar els ulls a la llum *- close your eyes to the light​*tòrcer el coll *- twist your neck​*tornar la carn a la terra *- give your flesh back to earth​*tornar-se pols *- become dust​


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## eno2

Dutch:
Het tijdelijke met/voor het eeuwige wisselen
To exchange the temporal for the eternal
Or, with the 'substitute' inversion:
To substitute the eternal for the temporal (an inversion that always sounds incomprehensible to me)
-------


eno2 said:


> Dutch:
> 
> De pijp uit gaan.
> This could be  go down the (drain )(pipe), I'm not sure.  Literally 'leave the pipe'



Leaving the pipe means 'dying'.

<Pipe is probably a rabbit hole here. The Large Expressions Dictionary by Van Dale (2006) states that a rabbit that 'leaves the pipe' while hunters are around, never returns because it is being shot, and therefore dies.https://onzetaal.nl/taaladvies/de-pijp-uit-gaan/>


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## eno2

De geest geven
To give the spirit (back, is meant)


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## Zareza

*FORMAL*
*a trece la cele veşnice* = to pass to those that are eternal
*a trece în nemurire / veşnicie / eternitate* = to pass in eternity
*a porni pe ultimul drum* = to start on the last road
*a trece la Domnul / dincolo* = to pass / go to God / beyond
*a adormi (întru Domnul)* = to fall asleep into God
*a se stinge din viaţă* = to turn off oneself from the life
*a-şi da duhul / sufletul* = to give one's spirit / soul
*a-şi da ultima suflare* = to give the last breath
*a lăsa (părăsi) lumea* = to leave the world
*a-şi dormi somnul de veci* = to sleep one's eternal sleep
*a închide ochii* = to close the eyes
*a se sfârşi* = to end oneself
*a se duce* = to go oneself
*INFORMAL*
*a se prăpădi* = to perish
*a da ortul (popii)* = to give the coin to the priest (_ort _is a coin < ortstaler (Germ.))
*a fi oale şi ulcele* = to be pots and small jugs (both made of clay / earth)
*a ieşi cu picioarele înainte* = to exit with the legs firstly (from the church after the funeral service)
*SLANG*
*a da colţul* = to go around the corner
*a crăpa* = to crack
*a o mierli* (<Gypsy language _morlo_ - assasinate) = to die


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## eno2

eno2 said:


> (Moderator note: Thread merged with the previous one.)
> 
> Hi,
> Kick the bucket. Idioms and expressions for dying. Not about *dying,   **DEATH* but for dying.
> Perhaps a bit macabre but I'd like to know in my languages before I round the corner.
> 
> Dutch
> 'Het hoekje omgaan' is the same 'as round the corner'.


I also wasn't looking for euphemisms but for all expressions, even the crudest ones.


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## dihydrogen monoxide

What would be some of the colourful of expressive ways to say that someone died in your language? The examples I'm looking for is something like

English: kick the bucket, to buy a farm
Slovene: iti po gobe 'went to pick up mushrooms'


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## Terio

Some in French :

Casser sa pipe (to break one's pipe)
Manger les pissenlits par la racine (to eat the dendelions from the roots).
Passer l'arme à gauche (to pass the weapon to the left)
Passer les pieds devant (to pass with the feet at the front : horizontally in a coffin)
Souffler la veilleuse (to blow out the night light)


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## Penyafort

Some in *Catalan*:

(leaving, changing place)
*anar-se’n a l’altre barri* = to go to the other neighbourhood​*anar-se’n a l’altre món* = to leave to the other world​*anar-se’n al clot* (_or _*al sot*) = to go to the hole on the ground​*anar-se'n al calaix* = to go to the drawer (_meaning _the casket)​*anar-se'n al canyet* = to go to the pit for the dead beasts​*passar a millor vida* = to change to better life​*pujar-se’n al cel* = to go up to the sky​
(actions implying a part of your body)
*aclucar els ulls* = to close one’s eyes​*tancar els ulls a la llum* = to close one’s eyes to the light​*batre els peus* = to beat one’s feet​*donar l’ànima a Déu* = to give one’s soul to God​*estirar la pota* = to stretch one’s leg​*fer el darrer badall* = to yawn for the last time​*fer el darrer sospir* = to give one's last sigh​


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## Awwal12

I remember a similar thread somewhere. At any rate, Russian is pretty inventive in that regard. The list below isn't complete (and doesn't include the pretty standard set of more solemn euphemisms, like "to emit one's spirit" or "to go to the other world"):

двинуть кони (dvínut' kóni) - "to move the horses"
склеить ласты (skléit' lásty) - "to glue one's flippers together"
дать дуба (dat' dúba) - "to give a bit of oak wood"
отбросить/откинуть копыта (otbrósit'/otkínut' kopýta) - "to throw one's hooves away"
отбросить коньки (otbrósit'  kon'kí) - "to throw one's skates away"
сыграть в ящик (sygrát' v yáschik) - "to play a box"
протянуть ноги (protyanút' nógi) - "to stretch one's legs"
приказать долго жить (prikazát' dólgo zhít') - "to order to live long"
отдать концы (otdát' kontsý) - "to cast off" (nautical), lit. "to give the ends away"
загнуться (zagnút'sya) - "to bend (oneself)"
etc.


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## cherine

Awwal12 said:


> I remember a similar thread somewhere.


You remember correctly  
I've now merged both threads. Please, everyone, don't forget to search the forum before opening a thread, to avoid repetitions.
Thanks,
Cherine
Moderator


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## velisarius

ireney said:


> *βλέπει τα ραδίκια ανάποδα* (vlepi ta radikia anapoda) he sees the chicories upside down (of the radicchio kind)


This one is very similar in spirit to the English expression_ They're pushing up the daisies._


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## mannoushka

The immortal euphemism in English: to shuffle this mortal coil.
Persian: lose one's grip on this world.


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