dead man walking
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
A phrase traditionally used in U.S. prisons to announce a condemned prisoner being walked to the place of execution.[1] Its use has expanded as a euphemism for anyone facing an impending and unavoidable loss.
Noun[edit]
dead man walking (plural dead men walking)
- A condemned prisoner walking to a death chamber or other place of execution.
- 1996, Stephen King, The Green Mile:
- It was Percy Wetmore who ushered Coffey onto the block, with the supposedly traditional cry of “Dead man walking! Dead man walking here!”
- Someone who is soon to die.
- (figuratively) Someone who is about to face an unavoidable loss (though the person may not realize it).
Derived terms[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ “dead man walking” in the Collins English Dictionary