Sleep with the Fishes
Meaning
“Sleep with the fishes” is a dark idiom meaning that someone has been killed, with their body supposedly disposed of in a body of water.
It is strongly associated with organized crime stories and popular culture. The phrase uses the peaceful image of “sleeping” to describe a grim fate, which gives it its distinctive dark and sometimes humorous quality.
Usage
The expression is rarely meant literally in everyday conversation. It is mainly used when talking about fictional crime, threats, gangster movies, or situations involving dark humor.
It became especially well known through The Godfather, where it is used as a coded reference to someone being murdered and their body placed in the water.
Example Sentences
- In the gangster movie, the villain warns that his enemies will sleep with the fishes.
- The detective discovered that the missing criminal may have gone to sleep with the fishes.
- The old crime novel is filled with threats about making people sleep with the fishes.
- He joked that anyone who betrayed the gang would end up sleeping with the fishes.
- The phrase “sleep with the fishes” has become a familiar expression in crime fiction.