Question

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom/phrase

 To die in harness

A. Riding a horse
B. In a stable
C. In a uniform
D. Still in service

Answer 1

Hint: The contraption harness is worn by a horse. To die in harness, could therefore mean to die when one is still engaged in an activity.

Complete step-by-step answer:

   Let us see why this is so. To die in harness is an idiom. Idioms are phrases which have a metaphorical meaning. Their true meaning does not lie in their face value, but in a metaphor that represents the sum of their parts.


To understand the true meaning of this phrase, we can look at how this phrase came into existence. One can find this idiom in the works of Shakespeare. Harnesses, as we have discussed before, are worn by horses. In the Elizabethan Age and the following centuries , horses were made to work till they crossed their physical limits and dropped down dead. This means that the horses died while they were still working.

This metaphor can be personified in the sense that, if a person dies when he is still engaged in his duty, we can say that he died in harness. This phrase is most suitable for people who work as soldiers or are engaged in hazardous occupations like mining. Hence, the option still in service is the correct answer.

Note: Options A, B and C are distractors. They all seem to be plausible solutions but knowing how the phrase came into existence and what it means helps us to derive the correct answer i.e. Option D.