deep six, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

deep six n.

[SE phr. six feet under, dead]

1. a grave.

1929		M.A. Gill Und. Sl. n.p.: Deep six – Grave.
1936		L. Pound ‘Amer. Euphemisms for Dying’ in AS XI:3 201: Deep six.
1944		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 13 May 6B: [She] has cut out to a cold meat party where she’s stashed in her deep six.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

2. suicide.

c.1930		(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 260: A lot crack up and go low down blue, and some even take the deep six (suicide).
1951		Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, OH) 8 Aug. 17/5: Underworld slang for a suicide attempt: ‘He tried for the deep six.’.
1965		J.P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono 228: Unless you’ve got a desire for the Deep Six, it seems a good idea.

3. death.

1955		B. Schulberg On the Waterfront (1964) 215: One little push, Splash, and it’s deep six for Runty Nolan.
1967		(con. 1940s) M. Dibner Admiral (1968) 242: He also gave me this store foot. And the deep six to a shipful of men.
1968		(con. mid–late19C) S. Longstreet Wilder Shore 216: Death on land was labeled the Deep Six.
1978		R. Price Ladies’ Man (1985) 75: You feel like doin’ deep six? We all been there too.

4. a dismissal from work.

1962

S. Longstreet Flesh Peddlers (1964) 164: Booley is getting the deep six.

5. the rubbish bin, the wastebasket.

1971

L. Sanders Pleasures of Helen 56: I was flooded with releases and invitations and press kits. Most of them went into Deep Six.

In phrases

give someone the deep six (v.)

1. (US) to kill, to murder.

2003

George Hampton & Mike Moore Peter In Wonderland 🌐 He’s gonna go all decky with the whippersnapper. Cork his deadlights. Cut his painter. Board him in the smoke. Coil up his cables, give him the deep six, walk him up ladder lane and down hamp street. He’s gonna kill him, you stupid lummox!

2. to throw away.

1922

N.Y. Tribune 10 Dec. 20/3: The reader grumbles as he reads. pride forbids him giving the book the deep six before completion. ‘Conrad! He’s a celebrity. Must stick it out. Thank God, only another 108 pages to go!’.

hit the deep six (v.)

to die.

1963

M. Braly Shake Him Till He Rattles (1964) 121: And a lot of them hit the deep-six.

take the deep six (v.)

to die; also in fig. use.

c.1930		(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 232: In the midst of an epidemic [...] feeling if they had to take the deep six (death), they’d just as leave be found in bed with a whore.
1980		Eble Campus Sl. Oct. 7: Take the deep six – die (usually said jokingly).
1986		C. Hiaasen Tourist Season (1987) 324: It looks like Wiley took the deep-six after all.
2002		James Ridgeway ‘Mondo Washington’, 28 Aug–3 Sep, Village Voice (N.Y.) 🌐 Amtrak’s two recent catastrophes [...] gave fresh fodder to critics who say it’s time to face facts and let the old railroad take the deep six.