bought the farm

The phrase "bought the farm" is an idiomatic expression that means to die or to be killed, usually in a military or aviation context. It originates from the idea that if a serviceman were to die during duty, his life insurance payout would be enough to pay off the mortgage on a farm he hoped to own someday. Therefore, "buying the farm" came to represent the ultimate sacrifice or loss of life in a particular situation. Over time, this phrase has also been extended to refer to any unexpected or untimely death.