Dead, & euphemisms

[Georgyporky]

Why do people say "passed away" ? And other euphemisms ?

My late husband didn't pass anywhere - apart from places on a Monopoly board.

He died. That's it. End of.

I corrected the undertakers when they used that phrase.

The Humanist officiant used the right word without having to be told.

Because our language is rich and varied and people find the words and phrases that best describes their experiences. Many synonyms for verbs. Why the fury?

I say died, but each to their own.

My friends and I tend to use 'shuffled' as 'in off this mortal coil' but then we tend to quote a lot of Monty Python at each other generally! I really dislike "passed " my exh used it to refer to my mother once. I told him she was dead, she hadn't passed anything.

I'm with you OP.
Can't stand the trend for 'passed' - passed wind? - passed the salt? - passed a driving test?

I say died, my SiL says passed, and we're talking about the same person.

I'd rather bite my own arm off than say passed myself but I wouldn't dream of saying that to my SiL. Each to their own.

Sometimes the terms 'passed' or 'passed away' feel quite inappropriate, for example when someone has died in a road accident or by suicide.