Around this time of year, we turn our thoughts to ghosts and spirits and skeletons— the world beyond. Since we’re already thinking about, er, death, let’s take a look at phrases that use it.
Death, as we all know, is pretty final, at least on this end of things. So the word is sometimes used in expressions to add emphasis, a certainty or finality to what’s being said.
Something can be—
Dead ahead
Dead center
We asked a guy on the street where the library was. He said, “Just keep going straight on this road a couple more blocks.It’s dead ahead.”
The arrow hit the target dead center.
Dead wrong
Dead drunk
Dead certain
In these phrases, dead means completely or absolutely. There is no way to be more wrong or more drunk or more certain.
DOA (dead on arrival)
This was originally used by first responders to say that someone was already deceased when help arrived on a scene of a crime or accident. Now you may hear it said about an idea:
His plan was so controversial that it was dead on arrival. [It had no chance of being adopted. It was probably not even discussed.]
As far as the committee is concerned, that’s a dead issue. Move on.
Sometimes, dead means abruptly.
The cat stopped dead in its tracks when he saw the Doberman.
Or you might want to talk about
The dead of night
The dead of winter
These don’t mean that zombies are stalking you on winter nights (although makers of horror films have played with this phrase). You are talking about the quietest, darkest part of night or winter. You are so far into it that it feels like you may never make it back.
Then, you have things like dead batteries. They are drained of all power.
My cell phone is dead. I need to charge it tonight.
My computer died. I’ll have to buy a new one.
Or, you can talk about being dead tired or brain dead. There is just no more energy or higher level thinking left in you.
By the time I finished the hike, I was dead tired.
The meeting was so boring I was brain dead by the time it was over.
Similar phrases also add emphasis—
My head is killing me. [Very painful headache]
We’re dying here. [We are not connecting with our audience. Our jokes or ideas are not hitting the mark. We need to change our approach or delivery.]
You’re killing me. [Either you are messing things up for this person, or you are so very funny that he/she can’t stop laughing.]
I died laughing. [It was so funny I will never stop laughing OR I laughed so hard it killed me. BTW, that’s the way I want to go.]
The pandemic may have made some of us hyperaware of death’s original meaning (loss of life). Having just lost someone, I feel a little tender toward these phrases and add emphasis other ways, as in
I am bone tired. [So tired, I feel it in my bones.]
But for the most part, death is just a way to add force to a phrase. I wonder if this will change.