Bought the farm

This American expression means died in battle and dates from at least World War II but may well be linked to earlier British expressions from the First World War such as to buy one or bought a packet which both mean to stop a fatal bullet or shell. There are a number of theories about the origin of bought the farm. The two most plausible are as follows. Many men in the US military came from a farming background and therefore were wont to muse, “When this war is over, I’m going back home and buy myself a nice little farm and settle down.” When such a man is killed, his friends would say, “I guess he bought his farm alright” using the sardonic, black humour that men sometimes resort to in war. Another theory is that every member of the US armed services in World War II was issued with an obligatory life insurance policy for $10000, a considerable sum in those days. This money would be paid out to the deceased’s family who would often use it to pay off the outstanding mortgage on a farm. Thus, in a way, the deceased soldier could be said to have bought the farm.