push up daisies

English

Alternative forms

• push daisies, push up the daisies

Etymology

In allusion to the daisy flowers growing over a dead person's grave. Originated in World War I.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

push up daisies (third-person singular simple present pushes up daisies, present participle pushing up daisies, simple past and past participle pushed up daisies)

1. (idiomatic, euphemistic or humorous) To be dead.
   • 1969 December 7, Monty Python, “Full Frontal Nudity, Dead Parrot sketch”, in Monty Python's Flying Circus, spoken by Mr Praline (John Cleese):

     This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!

Derived terms

• pushing up daisies (adjective)

 

Translations

idiomatic: to be dead

• Finnish: kasvaa koiranputkea
• French: manger les pissenlits par la racine (fr), bouffer les pissenlits par la racine (fr)
• German: die Radieschen von unten ansehen (de)
• Greek: βλέπω τα ραδίκια ανάποδα (el) (vlépo ta radíkia anápoda)
• Hungarian: alulról szagolja az ibolyát (hu)
• Polish: wąchać kwiatki od spodu (pl) impf
• Spanish: criar malvas (es)

See also

• turn up one's toes to the daisies

Further reading

• “push up daisies” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.