buy it

English

Etymology

  • In the die sense, apparently attested since the 1820s, thus earlier than the variant buy the farm, which may be an extension of it.
  • In the have it sense, an elliptical allusion to believing a sales pitch.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (General Australian):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪət

Verb

buy it (third-person singular simple present buys it, present participle buying it, simple past and past participle bought it)

  1. (slang, euphemistic) To die.
    Synonyms: buy the farm, kick the bucket; see also Thesaurus:die
    He bought it in a shootout.
  2. (slang, idiomatic) To believe any particular assertion or idea; to support it.
    Synonym: have it
    Hyponym: buy into it
    He claims that he'll pay me back, but I don't buy it.
    He was claiming that he'd pay her back, but she wasn't buying it.
    He had been talking up a storm about diversification of assets, and clearly they had bought it.

Usage notes