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# turned up his toes

phrase (idiom, verb phrase: turn up one's toes, turns, turned, turning)

«turned up his toes» 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

1. (euphemism, old-fashioned, humorous) died.
2. (of a plant or animal) died.

### In the lessons

An old, jokey way to speak of death, especially of an animal or plant, from the picture of a dead body lying with toes pointing up. Found in old books and light talk; not for a sad, close death.

### Examples

- (old book) The old miser turned up his toes at last.
- (pets) My goldfish turned up his toes this morning.
- (garden) The tomato plants turned up their toes in the frost.
- (joke) "Is the car finished?" "Turned up its toes on the motorway."
- (gossip) Old Fred turned up his toes, and the cottage is for sale.
- (chat) my phone turned up its toes again

### Note

Trap: not «turned up» = arrived. Too jokey for a real person's recent death; say «passed away». Similar: «kicked the bucket», «popped his clogs».