famous last words

Noun

famous last words pl (normally plural, singular famous last word)

1. (literally, plural, plural-normally) A notable final utterance before death, especially one made by a celebrity or historical figure.
   • Lawrence died defending his vessel and his famous last words, "Don't give up the ship," have been familiar to every schoolboy.1908, "“Don't Give Up The Ship.”," New York Times, 5 Jan. (retrieved 2 Oct 2010)
   • When Arria's husband was hesitating to kill himself, she stabbed herself with his dagger, to demonstrate to him how to accomplish a noble suicide. Her famous last words—Paete, non dolet ["Paetus, it does not hurt!"].1996, Jane Irwin, editor, George Eliot's Daniel Deronda Notebooks, →ISBN, page 367
2. (figuratively, plural, plural-normally, expressing sarcasm) A statement which is overly optimistic, results from overconfidence, or lacks realistic foresight.
   • Says one Sperry product executive: "As a manager, there is almost nothing you can do to get fired here." Considering the new circumstances, those could be famous last words.1986 June 9, Janice Castro et al., “The Price Was Finally Right”, in Time
   • "But Nick—I'm never getting married again. I'm serious about that.""Famous last words."1989, Danielle Steele, Season of Passion, →ISBN, page 246