How do you use "Buy the farm" in a sentence?

He nearly bought the farm when that truck ran the red light. If that engine had failed over the ocean, we would have bought the farm. My grandfather almost bought the farm in Korea, but he made it home.

Buy the farm

Q: What does "Buy the farm" mean?

To die, especially in a sudden or unexpected way. A dark-humored euphemism for dying. Most commonly used in military and aviation contexts, but also appears in everyday American speech. It softens the topic of death with rural imagery, making it easier to discuss uncomfortable subjects with a touch of humor.

American Slang Term American ★★★☆☆ Moderate informal

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含义: To die, especially in a sudden or unexpected way.

去世，尤其是突然或意外地死亡。

Morir, especialmente de forma repentina o inesperada.

死ぬこと。特に突然または予期せず亡くなること。

죽다. 특히 갑작스럽거나 예상치 못하게 사망하는 것.

A dark-humored euphemism for dying. Most commonly used in military and aviation contexts, but also appears in everyday American speech. It softens the topic of death with rural imagery, making it easier to discuss uncomfortable subjects with a touch of humor.

一个带有黑色幽默的死亡委婉说法。最常见于军事和航空领域，但在日常美式英语中也会出现。它用乡村意象来软化死亡的话题，使得讨论不舒服的话题时多了一丝幽默。

Un eufemismo con humor negro para morir. Se usa más comúnmente en contextos militares y de aviación, pero también aparece en el habla americana cotidiana. Suaviza el tema de la muerte con imágenes rurales, facilitando hablar de temas incómodos con un toque de humor.

死を表すブラックユーモア的な婉曲表現。軍事や航空の文脈で最もよく使われるが、日常のアメリカ英語にも登場する。田舎のイメージで死の話題を和らげ、少しのユーモアを交えて不快な話題を話しやすくする。

죽음을 완곡하게 표현하는 블랙 유머이다. 주로 군사 및 항공 분야에서 사용되지만, 일상적인 미국 영어에서도 나타난다. 시골 이미지로 죽음이라는 주제를 부드럽게 만들어, 불편한 주제를 약간의 유머와 함께 이야기할 수 있게 해준다.

例句

He nearly bought the farm when that truck ran the red light.
那辆卡车闯红灯的时候，他差点就没命了。
Casi la palma cuando aquel camión se saltó el semáforo en rojo.
あのトラックが赤信号を無視した時、彼は危うく死ぬところだった。
그 트럭이 빨간불을 무시했을 때, 그는 하마터면 죽을 뻔했어.
If that engine had failed over the ocean, we would have bought the farm.
如果引擎在大洋上空失灵的话，我们就完了。
Si el motor hubiera fallado sobre el océano, la habríamos palmado.
もし海の上でエンジンが故障していたら、命はなかっただろう。
바다 위에서 엔진이 고장 났으면, 우리는 끝장이었을 거야.
My grandfather almost bought the farm in Korea, but he made it home.
我爷爷在朝鲜战争中差点丢了命，但他最终平安回了家。
Mi abuelo casi muere en Corea, pero logró volver a casa.
祖父は朝鮮戦争で死にかけたが、無事に帰還した。
할아버지는 한국전쟁에서 죽을 뻔했지만, 무사히 귀환하셨어.

发音

用法指南

语境: military, storytelling, dark humor

语气: dark humor, blunt

✓ 正确说法

He almost bought the farm.
他差点就没命了。
Casi la palma.
彼は危うく死ぬところだった。
그는 하마터면 죽을 뻔했어.
That stunt nearly made me buy the farm.
那个特技差点要了我的命。
Esa maniobra casi me cuesta la vida.
あのスタントで死にかけたよ。
그 묘기 때문에 하마터면 죽을 뻔했어.

✗ 错误说法

Don't use it when someone has actually died recently — it's too flippant for genuine grief
不要在有人最近真的去世时使用——对于真正的悲痛来说太轻浮了
No lo uses cuando alguien ha fallecido recientemente de verdad — es demasiado frívolo para un duelo genuino
実際に最近亡くなった方がいる場合は使わないこと——本当の悲しみに対しては軽率すぎる
최근에 실제로 누군가가 사망했을 때 사용하지 말 것 — 진짜 슬픔 앞에서 너무 경솔하게 들린다

起源与历史

From military aviation slang. One theory: when a military plane crashed on farmland, the government paid the farmer for damages — effectively 'buying the farm.' Another links it to servicemen's life insurance paying off the family mortgage. Popular since the 1950s.

文化背景

Era: 1950s-present

Generation: Boomers, Gen X

Social background: Universal