What is bought the farm?

"Bought the farm" is an idiomatic expression commonly used to refer to someone's death, especially in military contexts. Its exact origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in the United States during the mid-20th century. One theory suggests that it may have originated from aviation slang, where "buying the farm" referred to a pilot who crashed and died, and the money from his life insurance policy was used to pay off the mortgage on his farm. Another theory suggests that it may have originated from World War II, where soldiers who died in combat were said to have "bought the farm" because they would be buried in a field or on a farm. Today, the expression is used more broadly to refer to any situation where someone has suffered a major loss or setback, not just death.