The origins of 'another one bites the dust'

Most people who hear the phrase “bite the dust” probably think of the Queen song “Another One Bites the Dust,” but it has been around much longer than 1980.

So I asked a couple of people what the phrase meant, and while most gave a correct definition, they were unable to describe its origins.

“It’s this huge kind of fail ““ you go down. In baseball, you strike out. They play it at Dodger games,” said Ben Caplan, a second-year undeclared social sciences student.

The phrase still has a similar meaning even outside of the context of baseball.

Examining the evolution of the words 'rake' and 'fop'


Illustration by Monica Davila

As an English student, it is hard to ignore the parallels between literary life and reality, which makes for some very interesting conclusions. After learning about George Etherege’s play “The Man of Mode,” the concept of fops and rakes cycled through my mind.

In addition to serving as a pretty catchphrase for English 10B learning materials, fops and rakes are indeed a part of everyday life, despite their 17th-century origins. A fop can be defined as a vain man who has almost a foolish attentiveness to his wardrobe and general appearance, whereas a rake is a generally attractive man with promiscuous habits.
Upon realizing that the titles of “fop” and “rake” could be synonymous with current-day terms such as metrosexual and douche bag, my epiphany was complete. Clearly I have been studying English to have moments like this where it all makes sense.