mud

Question

Hi!
I'm wondering if there is any idiom come with 'mud' that mean 'dead'? Like if you were to say 'he's been dead for 10 years', can you say somethng like 'he's been tasting mud for 10 years'?

How about these, could they replace 'dead'?

"eating mud"
"tasting mud"
"kissing mud"
"feeding mud"

I think I've read some writer used it but I can't recall the exact words

Thank you in advance- Terr

Terr3 · Accepted Answer

Sorry, a useless post. I think I've found the answer myself, it should be 'biting dust', 'eating dust' or 'licking dust', not 'mud'. -Terr

MrPedantic · Answer

Hello Terr,

I can't think of an idiom; but two literary examples come to mind:

1. Hamlet, Act V sc. 1

"There's another: why may not that be the skull of a lawyer?...Hum! This fellow might be in's time a great buyer of land, with his statutes, his recognizances, his fines, his double vouchers, his recoveries: is this the fine of his fines, and the recovery of his recoveries, to have his fine pate full of fine dirt?...Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away..."

2. Anonymous ballad, The Unquiet Grave

"The wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true-love,
In cold grave she was lain.
I’ll do as much for my true-love
As any young man may;
I’ll sit and mourn all at her grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.
The twelvemonth and a day being up,
The dead began to speak:
‘Oh who sits weeping on my grave,
And will not let me sleep?’
'’Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,
And will not let you sleep;
For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,
And that is all I seek.’
‘You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips;
But my breath smells earthy strong;
If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.
‘’Tis down in yonder garden green,
Love, where we used to walk,
The finest flower that ere was seen
Is withered to a stalk.
‘The stalk is withered dry, my love,
So will our hearts decay;
So make yourself content, my love,
Till *** calls you away.’"

MrP

Terr3 · Answer

Hi MrP!

Thanks, what an effort for such a long post and in-depth examples! Although I have to say some of these context were a little hard reach for my current english level. E.g. what is 'recovery of his recoveries', like his previous recovery was a bad one it needs another one on top of that? Difficult spots are found numerous places I found myself have to pause at every clause for 30 sec before I could proceed the next. "To stop a hole to keep the wind away..." I actually thought you had a typo there, how do you suppose to stop a hole?! now that I know it was meant the building up of a hole...

I think what you're trying to show me were "turn'd to clay" and "stalk is withered dry" right? The reason I asked the question was because I want 'mud' at the end of the sentence for the rhyme. But I'll take your suggestions into account and see which ones do work better. Thanks again! -Terr

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