🔍 Check out, to
Definition: To die. This slangy phrase transfers other kinds of departure to leaving this life, as in “He’s had several heart attacks and could check out any day.” It dates from the 1920s. To check something/someone out, on the other hand, meaning to investigate something or someone, such as “Let’s check out this new restaurant,” dates from the 1940s.
Related Expressions
- Kick the bucket: Another euphemism for dying, informal to the core.
- Bought the farm: Often used to imply permanent departure from this world.
- Pushing up daisies: Humorously suggesting one is in their final flowerbed.
Similar Terms
- Cashing in one’s chips: A gambling term morphing into a farewell to life.
- Taking a dirt nap: A more colorful description of being six feet under.
- Biting the dust: Paying homage to the literal downfall.
Synonyms
- Expire
- Demise
- Pass away
Antonyms
- Survive
- Live
- Thrive
Humor-Filled Quote
“They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” — Banksy
Proverbs
- “Death is a black camel that kneels at every man’s gate.” — Turkish Proverb
- “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” — From an Irish headstone
Suggested Reading
- Books:
- “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande
- “The End” by Lemony Snicket
- Movies:
- “The Bucket List”
- “Meet Joe Black”
Inspiring Thought
Life is fleeting, but that doesn’t stop us from living it to its fullest. Remember to check in on those you love before you inevitably check out.
Farewell, dear reader! May your intellectual curiosity blossom like a perennial, forever checking out new realms of language and thought. 🌸
