“Famous last words” is often used sarcastically to imply that a statement is rash or not well thought out. It can refer to physical or abstract danger, and is commonly used to express skepticism or concern in a mildly humorous way. It can also be used in a business context to refer to a team or company. Famous last words from celebrities are cataloged in literature but are not the most frequent use of the phrase.
When English speakers refer to “famous last words,” they often use a sort of sarcastic tone which basically means that a person’s statement might be rash or not well thought out. Generally, the speaker is trying to convey to another person that an idea could be “fatal” for them, usually in a figurative use of the word. For example, if the rider says “this trick is really easy” and someone else responds by saying “famous last words,” the speaker is implying that the bike trick might not be as easy as the rider expected. The idea is that the words that the person has just said, in this case, the person attempting the motorcycle trick, will be his “last words”.
The above is the most frequent use of the phrase “famous last words” in English. There are, of course, collections of famous last words from many celebrities and well-known figures in English-speaking societies. These are cataloged in books or other literature. When English speakers use the phrase “famous last words” by itself, that’s usually not what they’re talking about.
It’s important to note that when English speakers use this expression, they aren’t always talking about physical danger, as in the motorcycle trick example above. This phrase can also be used to describe something with more abstract danger. Someone might say to someone else “I feel confident buying this million dollar house. The market will only increase”. Another person might say “famous last words” to indicate that the prospective home buyer is likely to fail spectacularly and lose a large sum of money in the deal.
In addition to the above uses, the phrase can also be used in a business context, to refer to not just one person, but a team of people or an entire company. An executive or other staff member might say to a group of people, “We are going to focus 100% of our energy on pursuing this very important client.” If someone greets this proposition with the phrase “famous last words” it is indicating that they feel this strategy will not pay off for the company or business. This is how the phrase usually works to express skepticism or concern, usually in a mildly humorous way. In fact, some speakers might even use the phrase about themselves, as in, “These may be my famous last words, but I believe I’m going to win this election.”
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