How do you use "Bought it / Buying it" in a sentence?

Poor bloke bought it in the last week of the war. He nearly bought it crossing that road. Two of them bought it in the ambush.

Bought it / Buying it

Q: What does "Bought it / Buying it" mean?

Died; was killed Military slang euphemism for being killed in action. Still used in British English as a dark euphemism for death.

Slang Term British ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

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Meaning: Died; was killed

死了；被杀了

Murió; fue abatido

死んだ、殺された

죽다, 전사하다

Military slang euphemism for being killed in action. Still used in British English as a dark euphemism for death.

表示阵亡的军事俚语委婉说法。至今仍在英式英语中用作对死亡的黑色幽默委婉说法。

Eufemismo de argot militar para morir en combate. Todavía se usa en inglés británico como un eufemismo oscuro para la muerte.

戦死を意味する軍事スラングの婉曲表現。現在もイギリス英語で死に対する暗いユーモアの婉曲表現として使われる。

전사를 에둘러 표현하는 군대 속어. 영국 영어에서는 여전히 죽음에 대한 어두운 완곡 표현으로 사용된다.

Examples

Poor bloke bought it in the last week of the war.
可怜的家伙在战争最后一周送了命
El pobre tío la palmó en la última semana de la guerra
かわいそうに、あいつは戦争の最後の週に死んだ
불쌍한 녀석, 전쟁 마지막 주에 죽었다.
He nearly bought it crossing that road.
过那条马路时他差点送命
Casi la palma cruzando esa carretera
あの道を渡るとき死にかけた
그 도로를 건너다가 하마터면 죽을 뻔했다.
Two of them bought it in the ambush.
伏击中他们有两个人送了命
Dos de ellos la palmaron en la emboscada
待ち伏せで二人が死んだ
매복 공격에서 두 명이 죽었다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: military, informal

Tone: dark, euphemistic

✓ Do Say

He bought it
他送了命
La palmó
彼は死んだ
그 사람 죽었어
Nearly bought it
差点送命
Casi la palma
死にかけた
하마터면 죽을 뻔했어

✗ Don't Say

Can seem callous about death
谈论死亡时可能显得冷漠
Puede parecer insensible respecto a la muerte
死について冷淡に聞こえる場合がある
죽음에 대해 냉담하게 들릴 수 있음

Common Mistakes

Using insensitively about recent deaths

Origin & History

WWI British military slang. The 'it' being 'bought' may refer to one's 'ticket' (death) or 'the farm' (American variant). A dark euphemism to make death easier to discuss.

Etymology: WWI military euphemism

First recorded: WWI era

Cultural Context

Era: WWI onwards

Generation: Older generations

Social background: Military origin

Pop culture: War films; Military memoirs

Regional notes: British military slang.

Variations

Bought itBuying itNearly bought it