Why do dead people "buy farms"?

Answer 1

The expression, I think, comes from the insurance money or other similar assistance that is payable upon the farm owner's death. The bereaved family then uses the money to pay off the land; therefore the person who died "bought the farm."

Answer 2

The origin of this phrase is uncertain. It is 20th century and all the early references to it relate to the US military. The New York Times Magazine, March 1954, had a related phrase, in a glossary of jet pilots' slang:

"Bought a plot, had a fatal crash."

That clearly refers to a burial plot. The 'bought' in that case probably doesn't suggest any actual or potential purchase, but to an earlier use of 'bought', i.e. being killed. This dates back to at least the early 20th century. This example from 1943 isn't the earliest, but it does make the meaning explicit. It's from Cyril Ward-Jackson's It's a piece of cake; or, R.A.F. slang made easy:

"He's bought it, he is dead - that is, he has paid with his life."

Specific references to 'the farm' come a little later. There are reports of the phrase being in use in the US military from 1955 onward. Here's a citation from 1963, in Ed Miller's Exile to the Stars:

"The police dispatcher says a plane just bought the farm."

There are a few suggested derivations for the phrase. One, put forward in a 1955 edition of American Speech, is the idea that when a jet crashes on a farm the farmer may sue the government for compensation. That would generate a large enough amount of money to pay off the farm's mortgage. Hence, the pilot paid for the farm with his life.

The second theory is that military men might dream of returning from the battlefront and settling down with a family to a peaceful life down on the farm. If someone were killed his colleagues might say, 'well, he bought the farm early', or similar. Well, yes they might, and there are numerous sentimental US films where dialogue like that wouldn't be out of place. That's not to say the phrase was coined that way though.

A third suggestion is the idea that, if a serviceman was killed in action, his family would receive a payout from the insurance that service personnel were issued with. This would be sufficient to pay off the family mortgage.

My twopenneth is on the last explanation but, given that we don't have the full evidence, that's just speculation.

Answer 3

"He bought the farm" is a saying that refers to the labor intensive workday of a farmer. Up at 3 or 4am to feed animals, give em hay -- the whole deal -- breakfast before sun up, plowing acres of land to plant seed [for corn, etc.], mend fences, milk cows by hand, birth animals without a vet to help. and pray like hell that it rains so all the crops don't die -- it's a wonder all farmers didn't die from their day to day labor. They got no vacations or sick days. No family or emergency leave. DaNada.
So if some one "buys the farm" it means they worked themselves to death.

Answer 4

oh that's great i have to wait until i'm dead to get a farm gez

Answer 5

It refers to the fact that your widow will collect life insurance benefits, thus enabling her to purchase the family farm. Variation: 'buy the ranch.'

Answer 6

No idea, but I think I will either go with the first answerer or the one who mentioned the variation.

Answer 7

So they'll have a place to put all the daisies they'll be "pushing up" of course!

Answer 8

beat the hell outta me.
I haven't seen dead people buy or do anything.

Answer 9

They were dying to be among the pigs?

I know...this is a trick question, right??

Answer 10

"So they have a place for their carcass to rest, of course."

~ answer from Tek