Pop Culture dictionary
rest in peace
or RIP or R.I.P. [ rest in 辫别别蝉听] 辞谤听[ 补丑谤-补丑测-辫别别听] 辞谤听[ rip ]
What does聽rest in peace mean?
Rest in peace is a common epitaph found on Western gravestones. In colloquial speech and writing, it’s used to note the literal or metaphorical death of someone or something.
Where does rest in peace come from?
The acronym聽R.I.P., though containing the same initial letters as the phrase聽rest in peace, originates from a Latin phrase with the same meaning: requiescat in pace, “may (the deceased person) rest in peace.” The Latin phrase began appearing on Christian gravestones in the 8th century and was widespread on Christian grave markers by the 1700s. In this early use, rest in peace听(补蝉听requiescat in pace)听was a prayer or wish that the soul of the deceased would find eternal peace in Heaven. Catholic burial services in particular still incorporate the original Latin聽requiescat in pace in this way.
Today, it is more common to find聽rest in peace 辞谤听R.I.P. on gravestones and in funeral services than its Latin parent. The acronym聽R.I.P. appeared first in 1613 as an abbreviation f辞谤听requiescat in pace, then in 1681 f辞谤听rest in peace.
The phrase rest in peace and the聽acronym聽R.I.P. have migrated into secular use over the centuries, given Christianity’s extensive influence on secular Western culture. In funeral settings,聽rest in peace has a solemn tone appropriate to the occasion.聽Outside of burial ceremonies and gravestones,聽rest in peace has come to be used in obituaries and online to signify respect and well wishes for a beloved person who has died. The hashtag #RIP is commonly appended to social-media posts in which fans mourn the passing of public or private figures they admired while also celebrating their lives and impact.
I am so sad Baltimore, Maryland, Congressman Elijah Cummings died this morning. He was only 68. RIP , civil rights and social justice warrior
— Ana P. Rodriguez (@aprodrig77)
Rest in peace聽has also developed more lighthearted, humorous extensions. On social media in the 21st century, it is more often used in the form of RIP聽for the metaphorical deaths of such things as cancelled television shows or apps and celebrity breakups.
Examples of rest in peace
Who uses rest in peace?
R.I.P. can also often be found on creepy themed props and decorations around Halloween. Because it is a short, recognizable reference to death and graveyards, it can easily lend a spooky tone to party settings. This usage emphasizes the term’s complete transition from religious roots into secular use.
Still remember this one time, when I was working as a barista at Borders (RIP), a girl tried to return the cappuccino I made her bc it was too foamy.
— Prerna (Prayer-na) Pick-Axe 鉀忥笍 (@prernapickett)
Rest in peace鈥�or, more commonly, given character limits and internet users’ penchant for abbreviations,聽RIP鈥攈as taken on several meanings online. Some users will include the phrase “RIP聽me” in posts about events, people, or things they think are so great they’re overwhelming. For instance, a photo of a celebrity might be captioned by a fan, “They look so beautiful in that dress,聽RIP聽me,” as if their beauty killed the poster.
rip me
— ber (@dongmaessi)
This use is most often associated with young “fangirls” posting about their favorite singers and actors. Online users also use聽RIP聽as a hyperbole to indicate a combination of frustration, resignation, or embarrassment. For example, someone locking themselves out of their car might say “RIP聽me.” In these less formal contexts, the term is sometimes stylized simply as聽rip and pronounced as one word instead of individual letters.聽RIP can also be used as a verb, as in聽RIPing.
May have just posted a meme with inappropriate sexual connotations in my family chat, RIP me.
— Write Girl Problems (@WriteGrlProbs)
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of rest in peace like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of rest in peace that will help our users expand their word mastery.