over the river
To the yonder bank
Over the river means dead or dying, from the image of crossing a river to reach the afterlife—the River Styx in Greek mythology, or the River Jordan in Christian tradition.
Grandma's over the river now.
The phrase also appears in the Thanksgiving song "Over the River and Through the Woods," where it simply means across an actual river.
- fordWalkable river crossing
- boatWatercraft for travel
- folk songTraditional community music
- nursery rhymeTraditional poem for young children
- transitionChange from one state
grandmother's house · bridge · boundary · crossing · water crossing · oral history · myth · raft · floodplain · passage · other side · ferry · legend · canoe · quest · journey home · barge · viaduct
- seasonal greetingsmerry Christmas, season's greetings, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, best wishes