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# bought the farm

idiom, verb phrase (buy the farm, bought the farm)

«bought the farm» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

(slang, euphemism, US) died, especially suddenly, in a crash, an accident or a battle.

### In the lessons

A joking, tough-sounding way to talk about death, from soldiers' and pilots' talk; used in war films, crime stories and dark humour; never at a funeral or to a grieving family. Mostly US.

### Examples

- The pilot bought the farm when his plane went down.
- In the film, the bad guy buys the farm in the last scene.
- «Careful on that ladder, or you'll buy the farm.»
- My old laptop finally bought the farm (joke: it broke).
- Three soldiers bought the farm that night.
- Chat: «Phone fell in the pool, it bought the farm.»

### Note

Not about buying land. It means «died», and can be used jokingly about machines breaking. Sounds cold or flippant about real people; do not use it about someone who just died.