die on
When something stops working right when you need it, or someone dies while you are with them.
Meanings
Of a device or machine: to stop working at a bad moment, leaving someone without it.
"My phone died on me right in the middle of getting directions."
Of a person: to die while in the care or company of someone else.
"His father died on him when he was only twelve years old."
Of a joke, a performance, or an idea: to fail completely in front of an audience.
"His opening joke totally died on him — not a single laugh."
The construction is always 'die on + person' (e.g., 'die on me'). The device or person doing the dying is the subject. Conveys the speaker's frustration or sense of personal inconvenience. Common in everyday spoken English.
Commonly used with
Forms
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