Colin Snow
Sleeping with the fishes is an idiomatic phrase that means someone has been murdered and their body disposed of in a body of water. The phrase is believed to have originated in Homer's Iliad, where Achilles threatens to kill Lycaon, son of Priam, who will sleep with the fishes. The phrase was popularized in the 1972 film The Godfather, where it was used to euphemistically refer to someone who has been killed by the Sicilian Mafia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | The phrase first appeared in Homer's Iliad, where Achilles threatens (and kills) Lycaon (son of Priam), who will "sleep with the fishes." The earliest use of the exact phrase is from 1833. |
| Popular Culture | The phrase was popularized by the 1972 movie The Godfather, based on the 1969 book by Mario Puzo. In the movie, the Sicilian Mafia uses the phrase euphemistically to refer to someone who has been murdered and disposed of in a body of water. |
| Meaning | "Sleeping with the fishes" is an idiomatic expression meaning someone has been killed and their body disposed of in water. It is often associated with the Sicilian Mafia and is used as a threat or warning. |
| Variations | "Sleep with the fish," "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes," "hit the hay," "sleep like a log," "let sleeping dogs lie," "waking up on the wrong side of the bed." |
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What You'll Learn
The phrase's use in *The Godfather*
The 1972 film The Godfather is considered one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. It is based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name and has had an unparalleled impact on pop culture, especially through its numerous iconic lines.
The phrase "sleep with the fishes" is one of the film's most famous lines. It is a euphemism meaning that the person being referred to is dead, with their body disposed of in a body of water. The phrase was popularized by the film, although it first appeared in Homer's Iliad, and was likely in common use in the 19th century.
The Godfather contains many other memorable quotes, including:
- "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."
- "Leave the gun, take the cannoli."
- "Look how they massacred my boy."
- "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
- "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart."
- "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
- "Tattaglia is a pimp. He never could have outfought Santino. But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along."
These lines have helped cement The Godfather as a pop-culture icon, frequently parodied and referenced in almost every genre imaginable.
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The Iliad's similar phrase
The phrase "sleeping with the fishes" is believed to have originated from Homer's Iliad, where Achilles threatens (and kills) Lycaon (son of Priam), who will "sleep with the fishes". This phrase is used to emphasise the brutality of the method of disposal, as the body would remain unburied and disposed of in a body of water, akin to an animal.
The Iliad, an ancient Greek epic poem by Homer, is indeed full of life and death. It is a story of war, confronting the mortality of men and the inevitability of death. The poem's battles are filled with vivid and gruesome descriptions of deaths, with over two hundred deaths mentioned, including those of famed heroes such as Patroclus, Hector, Sarpedon, and Lycaon. Homer frequently provides a backstory or a glimpse into the life of the deceased, highlighting the tragedy of their loss and the grief it causes.
The death of Patroclus, a friend of Achilles, is described in gruesome detail. Patroclus spears Sarpedon's jaw, dragging him from his chariot like a fisherman hauling in a fish. Patroclus then steps on Sarpedon's chest, pulls out his spear, and crushes his skull, leaving Sarpedon's eyes falling to the ground.
The death of Hector, another tragic scene, is also noteworthy. Hector, a Trojan hero referred to as a man of god-like standing, is killed by Achilles with a spear to the neck. Achilles then desecrates Hector's corpse, dragging it behind his chariot around the walls of Troy.
The Iliad also explores the idea of glory in the face of death. Despite the gruesome nature of the deaths, the poem highlights the heroism of those who face their mortality and fight courageously. The nearness of death in battle brings about the greatest reward: glory.
The phrase "sleeping with the fishes" in The Iliad is thus not an exact match to the modern euphemism for death, but it conveys a similar sense of finality and the brutality of unburied corpses disposed of in water.
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The Sicilian Mafia
The phrase "sleeping with the fishes" is widely associated with the Sicilian Mafia, thanks to its use in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and, subsequently, Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation. In the story, the character Peter Clemenza says, "It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes," referring to a dead fish wrapped in Luca Brasi's bulletproof vest. This implies that Luca Brasi has been killed and his body hidden underwater.
However, the phrase's origins can be traced back much further than The Godfather or even the Mafia itself. The phrase, or a variation of it, first appeared in Homer's Iliad, written nearly 3,000 years ago. The first English translation of The Iliad, by Arthur Hall in 1581, did not include this section, so the phrase may not have entered the English language until Thomas Hobbes' translation around 1676. Additionally, an 1836 book by Edmund Spencer, Sketches of Germany and the Germans, uses the exact phrase "sleep with the fishes." Furthermore, an 1891 slang dictionary includes the phrase "feed the fishes," used figuratively to mean "to be drowned."
The phrase's connection to Sicily and the Mafia is a relatively modern invention. While it may not have originated with the Sicilian Mafia, the popular culture surrounding the Mafia, particularly through The Godfather, has cemented its association with organized crime. The phrase is used to euphemistically refer to killing someone and hiding their body underwater, often by forcing them to stand in a bucket filled with concrete until it hardens before dumping them into a body of water.
Despite its enduring popularity in mobster movies and organized crime contexts, the phrase's evolution is quite convoluted, spanning ancient literature, medieval poetry, and naval warfare. Its usage in The Godfather and its association with the Sicilian Mafia are the most recent chapters in a long history of colorful language and imaginative expressions of death and drowning.
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Death by drowning
The phrase "sleeps with the fishes" is a metaphor for death, and more specifically, it often refers to a mob-related death. The origin of this phrase comes from the practice of dumping the bodies of murder victims into the sea, usually weighed down so they sink to the bottom and are consumed by marine life, especially fish—hence "sleeping with the fishes." With this context in mind, let's explore the topic of death by drowning:
The act of drowning itself is a terrifying and brutal experience. The body's natural response to being submerged in water is to gasp for air, and when a person is held underwater, their lungs fill with liquid, causing a painful and panicked struggle. As the body tries to breathe, water is inhaled, filling the lungs and causing damage to the delicate alveoli and airways. This can lead to a condition known as "dry drowning," where the vocal cords snap shut to prevent water from entering the lungs, but this also traps air, causing a painful and suffocating death. Even if rescued at this stage, a person can still die from the damage caused, hours or even days later.
Additionally, the body's natural salt balance is disrupted by the intake of water, which can cause further damage to the brain and other organs. The salt water draws fluid out of cells in a process called osmotic imbalance, leading to cell death and organ failure. This process can also occur with fresh water, but the effects are slower due to the lower osmotic pressure. The damage caused by drowning can result in long-term neurological issues if the victim survives the initial event.
The disposal of a body in the ocean or any body of water also introduces a range of environmental factors that can accelerate the decomposition process. Marine organisms, such as crabs and fish, may feed on the flesh, and bacteria in the water can rapidly break down tissues. This can make identifying the victim and determining the cause of death more difficult, especially if the body is not discovered quickly.
In summary, death by drowning is a painful and traumatic way to die, and when coupled with the disposal of the body in a watery grave, it takes on a more sinister meaning, as alluded to by the phrase "sleeps with the fishes." This method of murder and body disposal has been popularized in media and fiction, often associated with the dark and secretive world of organized crime.
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Murder and disposal in water
The phrase "sleeping with the fishes" is a well-known idiom that means to be dead, with the corpse disposed of in a body of water. The phrase was popularized by the 1972 film The Godfather, where it was used euphemistically by the Sicilian Mafia. However, the phrase likely originated almost 3,000 years ago and first appeared in Homer's Iliad, where Achilles threatens to kill Lycaon, who will then "sleep with the fishes." The phrase emphasizes the brutality of this method of disposal as the body would remain unburied, similar to that of an animal.
The decision to dispose of a body in water likely depends on several factors, including the murderer's relationship with the victim, the presence of an accomplice, the murderer's mental state, and their knowledge of the geographic area. For example, a study of 54 Korean homicides between 2006 and 2012 found that most victims disposed of in water were acquaintances of the offenders, and in 47 cases, the offender had knowledge of the geographic area where the body was dumped. Additionally, in cases of "expressive" homicide, victims were more likely to be disposed of far away from the crime scene, while "instrumental" homicide victims were disposed of closer by.
Disposing of a body in water can be done in simple or complex ways. A simple method would be to dump the body in a river or lake, as seen in the case of Margaret Hogg, whose body was preserved in Wast Water, England's deepest lake, for eight years. More complex methods may involve dismemberment, wrapping the body in plastic or cloth, or sealing it with concrete or bricks to prevent it from resurfacing.
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Frequently asked questions
'Sleep with the fishes' is a phrase that means someone has died, either by natural or unnatural causes, and their body has been disposed of in water.
The phrase was popularised by the 1972 movie The Godfather, but it didn't originate from the movie or the Mafia. The phrase was in common use as early as the 19th century and possibly earlier.
The phrase likely originated in the Mediterranean almost 3,000 years ago, possibly in Sicily.
The phrase has been used in popular culture in works of fiction featuring gangsters, such as The Sopranos, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and The Simpsons' Fat Tony. It has also been used in news articles and books.
