English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Pushing up daisies
Meaning
"Pushing up daisies" is an idiom used to describe someone who is deceased or has passed away. The phrase comes from the act of bending down to push a daisy back up when it has been knocked over, as if to bring it back to life. In contemporary language, the phrase is often used in a light-hearted way to humorously acknowledge someone's passing.
Usage
- "I heard that my old friend from college passed away. It's so sad to think of him pushing up daisies."
- "My grandma loved gardening and would often spend hours pushing up daisies in her garden."
- "We went on a road trip with my family and stopped at a beautiful field of daisies. I couldn't help but think of how wonderful it must be to push them up all day."
- "My coworker was so excited about his new project that he could barely contain himself, like a child pushing up daisies in the sunshine."
- "I don't know why we always end up having such lively discussions at family gatherings. It's like a group of people pushing up daisies together."
Roots and History
The origin of this idiom is unclear, but it has been in use since the 18th century. One theory suggests that it comes from the custom in England during the time when people would place stones on top of graves to prevent them from being disturbed by grave robbers. If a stone was pushed back away from the grave, it would be thought of as if someone had pushed up the daisies covering the grave. Another theory suggests that the phrase comes from the imagery of nature pushing back against human activity, such as a wildflower growing through cracks in the pavement or a tree reaching for the sky.
Synonyms in English
- Resting in peace
- Passed away
- Departed
- Left us
- Crossed over
Synonyms in other languages
- En repose (French) - To be at rest
- Morte (Italian) - Dead
- Mort (Spanish) - Dead
- Umuhwe (Swahili) - To rest or sleep
- Hara hachi bu (Japanese) - Eat little, live long. This phrase is not an idiom but rather a saying that has been associated with Japanese culture and is often used to humorously acknowledge someone's passing.