A Matter of Life and Death
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:
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matter of life and death, a
A very urgent issue, situation, or circumstance. This expression can be used either literally, as in She told the doctor to hurry as it was a matter of life and death, or hyperbolically, as in Don't worry about finishing on time--it's hardly a matter of life and death. First recorded in 1849, it alludes to such urgency that someone's life depends on it. Although
a matter of life or death would make more sense, it is rarely put that way.
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A Matter of Life and Death
A Matter of Life and Death may refer to:
- A Matter of Life and Death (film), a 1946 Powell and Pressburger film starring David Niven (released as Stairway to Heaven in the U.S.)
- A Matter of Life and Death (play), a 2007 stage adaptation of the film
- A Matter of Life and Death (album), a 2006 album by Iron Maiden
- "A Matter of Life and Death" (song), a 2005 song by Rinaldi Sings
- "Matter of Life and Death" (Space: 1999), the second episode of Space: 1999 television series
- "A Matter of Life and Death", the fifth episode of The Honeymooners television series
- A Matter of Death and Life, a novel by Andrey Kurkov
- A Matter of Death and Life, a book by Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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(Idiom)
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death
(Idiom)
A Matter of Life and Death: The Honeymooners (TV Episode)
(1955 Comedy TV Episode)
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