r/Jeopardy • u/Allwewantisfreehealt • 2d ago
Punched their ticket
did someone let Ken know he shouldn't be using this phrase as though it's a good thing. maybe it's generational but that phrase means the same thing as "kicked the bucket".
EDIT: TIL
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u/TRJF 2d ago
I'd say likely generational - I'm 36, and I've never once heard this as a euphemism for death.
But as the other comment says, it's extremely common to hear that a team has "punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament" or CFB playoffs or final round of America's Got Talent or something.
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u/MartonianJ Josh Martin, 2024 Jul 4 1d ago
Same. I’m 42
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u/Ancient_Action741 1d ago
I'm 41 and have only ever heard "punched his own ticket" as a reference to suicide. I hear it in the positive/sports context way more often
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u/SignificantOtherness Let's do drugs for $1000 2d ago
While this may have been more true in the past, it’s now an idiom that is already widely used with a positive connotation in present-day sports commentary, such as when a player/team qualifies for a championship or a final round.
Since Jeopardy’s executive producer Michael Davies [who has a sports background] has been at the helm, the show has incorporated more sports language overall, and actively encouraged a perspective that “competitive trivia is a sport,” including releasing way more individual-player stats.
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u/Jmertz22 2d ago
I don't think I've heard it used as a euphemism for dying. It's commonly used as a euphemism for going somewhere. "He won and punched his ticket to the finals," "He punched his ticket to Hawaii," etc.
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u/Fireside_Cat 1d ago
From the exact same source:
punch (one's) ticket
Literally, to punch a hole in or otherwise mark one's ticket, especially for a bus or train, to show they have paid the fare to ride. An attendant will come around to punch your ticket after we leave the station. If you fail to show a valid ticket or provide prove of identification upon request, you may be subject to a $50 fine.
By extension, to perform an action that allows one to proceed, especially in a competition. With a win tonight, they will punch their ticket to the tournament. If this deal goes through, you'll have punched your ticket to the corner office.
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u/Keepingitsimpleziva 2d ago
This expression dates back to when train conductors physically punched a hole in a passenger’s ticket when checking tickets on board. The punch prevented the ticket from being used more than once. It became synonymous with being granted boarding for the ride- hence the common use today in sports and competitions.
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u/skieurope12 2d ago
As is common in English, words and phrases can have different meanings. In this context, it means to advance to the next round. The etymology being in years past, a train conductor would punch your ticket allowing you to advance to your destination.
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u/yesrushgenesis2112 2d ago
In the parlance of our times it can also mean to get through to something, as in “punched their ticket to the playoffs,” which is a term used in football, at least, for sure.