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

I remember it being said when my grandmother died 50 years ago. When I queried it was told its the passing from one world to another, my family were not religious.

Many people most people nowadays have never prepared a dead body for burial or even seen a dead body. ''Died' is therefore scary as it's associated with physical signs like changes in skin colour, rigor mortis, and decomposition.

When people substitute 'passed' they are being polite and referencing sadness and loss not corpses.

Good point Caleo 😃

I have just had a message removed by GN because I criticised a poster for always being critical of people and always putting them down. (You know who you are!) Sometimes I wonder who these GN monitors are!
I thought we were meant to be nice, yet when I pulled someone up on their constant criticism and put-downs,t was deleted. I give up! I expect this will be deleted too! Oh well!!

That would be that you were being personal so had a comment deleted.We can all say what we think on a subject.I only report if posters cross a line.

Just to add, I have no idea what your comment was but being personal is the usual reason for deleting.

Crossstitchfan

EEJit

I'm not so bothered about "Passed", but there is another one I've started seeing, "unalive" or "unalived" for died or killed", it really bugs me.

On the subject of death, I hate the phrase "over the rainbow bridge" when an animal dies or is dead. It sounds ridiculous.

Never heard those, but I agree with your dislike of them

I think ‘unalived’ comes from TikTok or other social media, where the conspiracy theorists’ posts using ‘dead’ or ‘killed’ were automatically deleted.

On my local F—ebook page there are often posts about missing cats, sometimes followed by one about a ‘deceased’ cat having been found.

Crossstichfan you were being very personal in your criticism and that is probably why your post was deleted. What you said was not in any way “nice”

There is another phrase I fully understand, but dislike, it is describing a baby who is born dead, as 'born sleeping'. Of course the previous description of a 'still birth' is also a euphmism, so I am not sure what the best way to describe such a tragic event is, but perhaps stick to the euphemism we already have, rather than developing another.

The first few times I heard the recent euphemism, I was very confused and assumed the baby had been born alive but very drowsy.

I prefer 'died'. It's straightforward and it can be understood but I can understand the use of 'still birth' having gone through it twice - it's such an horrendous experience and it just takes a little bit of 'edge' off what has happened - for me it was that bit gentler than dead.

In Botswana if some dies they are described as 'late' as in "my mother is late" - huge confusion the first time I heard it.

It's said here, too.

Athrawes

I prefer 'died'. It's straightforward and it can be understood but I can understand the use of 'still birth' having gone through it twice - it's such an horrendous experience and it just takes a little bit of 'edge' off what has happened - for me it was that bit gentler than dead.

I am so sorry, I do hope bringing this up doesn't cause any extra sadness. Not having suffered anything like that myself, I will not pretend I can comprehend the grief of others who have.

I can fully understand that you need language to soften the reality when it happens, But a 'still' birth describes a baby who is just lying there, quite still, which is accurate, born sleeping is pretending things are other than they are.

I do not find that "cushioning" words or phrases help. I understand that others do. My approach is let people use the words that suit them but don't demand that others' diction "falls into line" so to speak. Each to their own.

Just about anything has to be better than the twee "gone to be with the angels" that I was fobbed off with decades ago when an obscure relative died.
I ask you!

Baggs

I do not find that "cushioning" words or phrases help. I understand that others do. My approach is let people use the words that suit them but don't demand that others' diction "falls into line" so to speak. Each to their own.

Yes, this. I honestly don't mind what terms others choose to use. If it suits them or brings them some kind of comfort, so be it. I don't believe in a heaven or afterlife in any case. But if there was, then I hope it is a rainbow bridge and I'm greeted by the pets I've lost over the years.

Baggs
My approach is let people use the words that suit them but don't demand that others' diction "falls into line" so to speak. Each to their own.
I agree, and not just on this subject either. The demand that others only use the terminology chosen by someone else is wrong.