be in at the death
1. To witness the killing of an animal. I refuse to be in at the death of an innocent deer just because you like hunting. No one was in at the death, so no one knows what killed the eagle. Come on, we've got to get this squirrel to the wildlife rescue—I refuse to be in at the death of a poor, defenseless creature!
2. By extension, to witness the end or collapse of something. Did you hear that Joe's proposal got rejected? Was anyone in at the death? I was in at the death and, yes, it is true—the department won't be funding our project anymore. We were in at the death. It really was a somber scene when management determined they'd have to eliminate all of those positions.
be in at the kill
To witness the end or collapse of something. Did you hear that Joe's proposal got rejected? Was anyone in at the kill? I was in at the kill, and, yes, it is true—the department won't be funding our project anymore. We were in at the kill. It really was a somber scene when management determined they'd have to eliminate all of those positions.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.