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I agree but you would not see that in an obituary.

Pass an exam; a driving test? Whatever is the world coming to? In my day (ca 1280) pass meant to step or pace!

I think this quote from c1225 sums it up nicely:

Alswa as a charbuche is betere þen a iacinct..al swa passeð meiden onon te mihte of meiðhad widewen & iweddede.

That's very brave of you! In the unedited version the author was rather less categorical.

Well said. Unfortunately we seem to be accepting the Americans misuse of language. I watched an episode of Cheers where Kelsey Grammer's character said he and his wife were celebrating an anniversary after two months of marriage!

Alanfi, I'm afraid that 'American misuse' made its way over here a long time ago. Lots of British teenagers have been celebrating their six-month anniversaries, in some circles it's pretty common.

Yes, unfortunately that is the case. Because some semi-literate types misuse the language in this way it becomes accepted by people who are semi-literate themselves. As Rigsby said" stop the world I want to get off"!

Thanks.

PS Topical references are always good, though I think Rigsby might have been around before many ABers were even born!

To pass, meaning to die, goes back to medieval times. If it is semi-literate, then so are Shakespeare and Tennyson, who both use the phrase. It has been replaced by passed away in Britain but it lingers on in the USA.

Thanks, Orson, interesting background to 'to pass'. I'm quite happy that the usage died out, and I certainly don't want a revival. I think euphemisms always annoy me!