Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 5, No.0753. Wednesday, 28 Sept. 1994.
From: Ellen Edgerton <EBEDGERT%This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Monday, 26 Sep 1994 09:45 ET
Subject: A quibble on battle slang
Re the recent comment on "buying the farm" being a slang expression that was a
>product< of the Korean war: maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought the expression
originated among bush pilots and early aviators when they would crash into a
plowed field or barn and then have to literally buy the farm (that is, if they
had not actually BOUGHT the farm in the process).