Question: One of Joonas's old Qs. has made a welcome return: [Is there a Latin euphemism for going to the toilet?](https://latin.stackexchange.com/q/516/1982). This brought to mind the fatuous things we say about death: "He's passed over."; "He's passed on."; currently in vogue; "He's passed."; this could be, "He's (the) past." reflecting American gangster-vernacular, "He's history.".

Much of this is driven by embarrassment (and fear of death), especially when talking to the bereaved--what do you say?

I'm just as bad, using Cockney (London) rhyming-slang, "He's brown-bread.".

Did the Romans use euphemisms for "death" & "dying"?

Answer: 
I believe acquiescere, excedere, and decedere were used euphemistically. excedere and decedere could be used with "de vita". Lewis and Short also lists "vixit"(he lived) as a euphemism for having died, as well as euphemisms like "si quid factum sit aliquo", "if anything happens to anyone" aka "if anyone dies". I'll try to come up with some more information, but I hope this satiates your curiosity until then.
Two verbs based on *ire* are quite commonly used for dying:

* [*Obire*](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=obeo&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059) is literally "to go towards".
* [*Perire*](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=pereo&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059) is literally "to go through".

It seems that *perire* is used almost exclusively in the deadly meaning, but I still think it originated as a euphemism.
The literal meanings of *obire* are still around at the classical time.

When used for dying, *obire* is often (but not always) accompanied with an object such as *diem*, *mortem*, *diem suum*, *diem supremum*.