When did 'Passing' become the new word for died????

I think it's very much like the ashes issue.

Some people talk to them, carry a handful around, speak of them as if they are the person.

For others, it just seems daft.

The main thing is that whatever helps people get through, is fine.

I always say my husband is dead.or died and hate on the rare occasions I had to say late as he was never late for anything in his life . Apart from his funeral . The one before us over ran and remember saying to our children your dad would hate this as he hated queuing . It made us laugh. Which would have seemed odd especially as we could see people crying before we even went into the crem.

We had an unspoken pact we wouldn't cry during his funeral and I am glad we didn't as there was so many people from all over the country to thank for coming. There was no wake as we didn't believe in them or flowers . But had donations if people wanted to give . In the end we gave the cancer ward who treated him over £5,000 but it was to be used for things patients needed it wanted like a good bottle of whiskey or a fan etc.

It's funny even in this day and age people don't like to say dead or died. Which seems very strange to me . The worst phrase is they have gone to the great beyond 🤦. I always want to say beyond what ?

It's like when I was younger and remember.my nan saying in a quiet voice Mrs so and so has the big C. As if the word cancer was a dirty word..

The English is changing all the time but funny enough saying dead or died is still not used enough. But that's just my thoughts .

I choose not to say it, sometimes
It depends how I feel.

She chose not to say died

I saw a school mum last year in town after not having seen her for a few years. Her son and mine were in the same class, my son is now mid twenties.

I asked how her son was. She said he had passed, so I said "oh, well done" thinking perhaps I should have known about an exam or something through the grapevine.

Of course, if she had said he had died that awkward conversation wouldn't have happened.

I agree. The death of a loved one - human or pet - is very stressful and whatever term people feel comfortable in using is ok. I’m ok with using death and dying but others aren’t. It’s just a personal choice.

Always use died and death in our family. We’d find it odd not to. When talking with bereaved people I use the term they choose, it seems respectful somehow.

MissAdventure

Nursing today would recommend that you take the person's lead, since it is their choice, not medical staff.
Person centred planning, and all that.

This ,definitely

I respect what others choose

I say ‘died’. I am ok with ‘passed away’, as it seems gentler, if you like, but cannot bear ‘passed’.
My mum used to say X ‘has gone’

Nursing today would recommend that you take the person's lead, since it is their choice, not medical staff.
Person centred planning, and all that.

Emphatically not as in “the late…”. This was as “my father is late” when asked about parents’ whereabouts

I always say “died”.

I don’t mind “passed away” too much; but “lost”? Where did you leave them???

Worse still is “late”! I heard a Nigerian say that their father was “late”!! Oh dear.

I think it’s personal choice and the bereaved person may have their own reason for using the term passed/passed away. For some they just can’t bring themselves to say died.

I say died but I don’t have a problem with anyone saying otherwise.

Died definitely for humans but strangely I use “lost” when one of my animals die. Wonder why? Odd.

ixion

Nurse training stressed the need to avoid the verb 'lost' when explaining a patient's death.
As in, I am so sorry we have lost x.

^Lost? Well which ward was he going to?^

Same here.. Lost sounds like someone has been careless.
Passed away, is gentle.

When I write a letter of sympathy to anyone (always write never a card) who is grieving I always
say died.

It sort of suggests that the loved one has slipped or whispered away to a better peaceful place. Died just sounds so final. I stick with passed away, if that's OK.

Even back in the 60s I remember my mother hating "passed away" She thought it was very twee and childish (actually she thought a lot of the language people used was twee and childish) Heaven knows what she would have thought of "passed".

I do sometimes use "lost". After all it is quite descriptive, my husband is dead and we have lost him as a presence in the family.

Working in America I got used to some of their euphemisms.

Pass, passed over, passed away and "we lost X" were common.

Bathroom and rest room are preferred to toilet.

I don't use it myself...I sayed died ....but it doesn't offend me if others say it

Why not? I think it would be fun if I could manage it.

Perhaps I could put a clause in my will saying that my descendant wold be diinherited if heard using any word for death that I disapprove of, for a period of 5 years!

Whatever term the bereaved choose to use should be fine. Some people find it hard to say died especially when they have to repeat it over and over so many times to various different banks and companies.

Yes you will be dead so don’t try to control

I have threatened to come back and haunt any member of my family, who uses 'passed away' or 'passed' when describing my eventual death.

Kicked the bucket and similar terms will be acceptable but nothing shmaltzy, euphemistic, or sentimental is permissable.

When I die, I will be dead.