History Main / NoLongerWithUs

* PlayedForLaughs in Chapter 20 of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove''. Mari tells Mira and Ao about why she is [[GoalInLive fascinated with being an astronaut]]. She mentions she was significantly influenced by her grandmother who, among others, mentioned having purchased land on the moon and wanted to be buried there when she died. Mira and Ao immediately thought Mari's grandmother already died, so Mari shows them a recent photo with her and her grandmother to clarify the latter is still alive and well.

* ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'': "This year, I lost my dear husband Edgar..." ("QUIT TELLING EVERYONE THAT I'M DEAD!!!") "Now, if only Edgar was still here... I can still here his voice." ("FOR THE LAST TIME, WOMAN, I'M OVER HERE!!!")

A standard comedic misunderstanding, in which Alice announces that Bob "is no longer with us", "has moved on", "was transferred upstairs", "joined the silent majority" etc. Considering how many [[DeadlyEuphemism euphemisms for death]] there are in modern language, everyone naturally assumes that Bob has died. Turns out, Alice [[LiteralMetaphor was speaking literally]] and Bob has just left for work, earned a promotion, or gone on vacation. He's in a better place -- Palm Springs.

->''I still remember the last thing my grandfather said [[ExactWords before he kicked the bucket.]]''\\

** An [[http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=051206 earlier example]]. That one's a sort of DoubleSubversion -- [[spoiler:we find out later the agreement was written by someone with an equally poor understanding of human colloquialisms, and really ''did'' mean he was to be set free.]]

** When the Doctor reconnects with the Noble-Temple family in "The Star Beast", he asks where Donna's grandfather Wilfred is, and is told "he's no longer with us". He immediately expresses his condolences, and is on the verge of tears before being told by Donna that Wilf's still alive, he's just moved to a sheltered accommodation run by Kate Stewart and UNIT.

* ''Film/BonesAndAll:'' Maren goes in search of her MissingMom, and finds her grandmother, who tells her that her mother is "no longer with us." Maren thinks that her mother is dead, but her grandmother says that she's really in a mental institution.

* The film ''Film/FriedGreenTomatoes'' has a character named Buddy who is killed when his boot gets caught on a rail as a train approaches. Later in the film, it appears Ruth's son, who was named after Buddy, has met the same fate. The film cuts to a funeral, but then shows Buddy in attendance. It turns out he lost his arm and the ceremony is in memory of it.

* ''VideoGame/MystV'' begins with a letter from Atrus that strongly implies that he has died. Guess who shows up in the [[MultipleEndings good ending]]?
* In a SideQuest in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', Link takes the [[MoleMen Mogma]] Elder Guld to one of the game's [[FloatingContinent floating islands]] to plow a pumpkin patch. After this, if he talks to Silva, one of the other Mogmas, Link will say that the elder was "launched up" "beyond", which Silva takes to mean that Guld has died and that he must take up the leadership of his race.

* ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'': At the end of the "WesternAnimation/Ben10GeneratorRexHeroesUnited", Rex asks where the injured Six is, prompting this response:
-->'''Bobo:''' He's gone...\\
''(Horrified reaction from Rex)''\\
'''Bobo:''' ...to the little ninja's room.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E13BossMabel Boss Mabel]]", Mabel explain's Stan absence as him being "no longer with us". Soos is devastated at hearing that Stan's dead, before Mabel explains that she meant that he's just on vacation.
-->'''Mabel:''' Stan is no longer with us.\\
'''Soos:''' ''He's dead?'' Oh, why couldn't have it be ''me?''\\
'''Mabel:''' Whoa, whoa, Soos! Stan's not dead. He's just gone on vacation for a few days.\\
'''Soos:''' ...Thank you for clearing that up.
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': Muscle Man announces that he is dying, but he is actually referring to the "Muscle Man" persona he intends to shed in order to be married to Starla, who instead asks him to keep the persona.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyTalesS1E25PoniesInParadise Ponies in Paradise]]", Bright Eyes visits a tropical island as part of an exchange program. When they speak of a previous exchange pony who is "not there anymore," it serves to feed her fears, originally stoked by her friends, that they're going to pull an AppeaseTheVolcanoGod on her.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In one episode, the Neutron family gathers to celebrate their Aunt Amanda's birthday, and at one point, this exchange happens:
-->'''Aunt Amanda:''' Too bad your granny couldn't be here to see this...\\
''(solemn organ music plays as everyone bows their heads)''\\
'''Aunt Amanda:''' But she's in Reno, kicking butt at the slots!\\
''(everyone cheers)''
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'': In one episode, Michelangelo is sent to an alternate universe where the Turtles are superheroes instead of ninjas. Mikey notices that their version of Master Splinter is absent and asks where he is, and is solemnly told that "we lost him". Indeed, they did lose him... [[spoiler:to ''[[FaceHeelTurn evil]]''. He's their BigBad.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' spent much of its run being ambiguous about this. It's said that Rose Quartz "[[DeathByChildbirth gave up her physical form]]" to have Steven, instead of plainly saying that she's dead. Granted, this is literal: her gem (which is the core of a Gem's physiology) is embedded in Steven's stomach, no one really knows what would happen to Steven if was removed, and none of his family or allies have any interest in testing that. [[spoiler: When Steven has his Gem removed by White Diamond in the series finale "Change Your Mind", it manifests as ''another Steven'', finally confirming that Rose is [[KilledOffForReal gone for good]], at least as long as Steven is still alive.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': In the FlashForward episode "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbActYourAge Act Your Age]]", set ten years in the future, Irving says that Major Monogram has gone to a better place. He's in Bora Bora, enjoying his retirement.
* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'': Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga Rabbinowitz try desperately to plan an enormous celebrity wedding for their client that Saturday, three days later. They are running around in their office, making ten deals a minute when...
-->'''Judah:''' ''[entering]'' I have terrible news! It's Creator/MerylStreep. \\
''[Princess Carolyn and Rutabaga gasps in horror]'' \\
'''Rutabaga:''' Meryl Streep died?! \\
'''Judah:''' ''[genuinely confused]'' Um, no. She is retiring. \\
'''Rutabaga:''' Mr. [=McGregor=]!!! \\
'''Princess Carolyn:''' You cannot just walk into a room and say "I have terrible news about Meryl Streep"! \\
'''Judah:''' Her retirement party is this Saturday, all of Hollywoo will be attending.
* "WesternAnimation/BattyBaseball", a Creator/TexAvery cartoon, shows the name of a baseball stadium at where the cartoon takes place, W.C. Field. A caption pops up suddenly reading "The guy who thought up this corny gag isn't with us anymore." (Whether it means the staff killed him or he was fired is up for interpretation.)
* ''WesternAnimation/RubyGloom'': "Gloomer Rumor" uses this, where Iris, Misery and Skull Boy are convinced Ruby is going to move, but due to the former two announcing that she "won't be with us anymore", Frank and Len assume that means she’s dying. Throughout the episode, Frank and Len are still convinced of this, believing her to be going through the FiveStagesOfGrief, mistaking Ruby's "upcoming event" (a surprise party) as her death and subsequent funeral, and when Ruby shows up at the end, they believe she's a ghost.

* In ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'', they lose the car through a portal to the spirit world. When Patty tells her uncle, who gave them the car, that it's "on the other side", he asks "You mean in Jersey?"

* In ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny'', after some small talk about [[BoisterousBruiser Levi's]] [[BackFromTheDead return]], the topic drifts over to Fate's dead older sister Alicia, with Levi asking about where Alicia is now. Fate responds that Alicia is now "beyond the skies"... which the LiteralMinded DumbMuscle Levi assumed to mean that Alicia's currently staying in another world (a fairly plausible interpretation in fairness, due to TheMultiverse setting).

* Eight years after the aforementioned ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' example, the story arc "Temple Crashers 2" involves various characters getting {{Spirit Advisor}}s. [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2017/06/16/actually-pushing-up-daisies/ One of them is Rufus]], who explains that he kicked the bucket, passed away and is D-E-A-D. Grape, [[ContinuityNod given her last conversation with him]], assumes that he actually kicked a bucket, traveled ''away'' from the farm in ''passing'', and can't spell "deed". The title of the strip is "Actually Pushing Up Daisies", in [[CrossReferencedTitles reference]] to the page image strip being "Pushing Up Daisies".

* In [[https://notalwaysright.com/left-at-the-hereafter/71148/ this]] ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' story, a dentist speaking old-fashioned Norwegian explains that one of her customers has "left" and refuses to clarify even when it should be very apparent that the submitter genuinely (and understandably) thinks the customer has actually just left.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'', Fog tries to reunite Romy with the uncle and aunt she hasn't seen since she was a child. When Fog and Romy visit the address in Hong Kong where Romy's uncle and aunt were last known to be living, they are told Romy's uncle and aunt "left us some time ago". Thinking this means they have simply moved elsewhere, Romy asks where they are living now, only to learn that they were killed in a flood the previous year.

* In ''Manga/{{Yotsuba}}'', Asagi buys some [=CDs=] for her father while on holiday, then claims "I bought them without thinking, even though... he's not here anymore". There's a panel of her and her mother looking wistfully at the setting sun... and then Fuka points out that he's not dead, he's just [[{{Salaryman}} at work]].
* The first chapter of the ''Manga/YuGiOh'' manga has Yugi tell Anzu that he considers the (at this point unassembled) Millenium Puzzle a "memento" of his grandfather. She's rather shocked when Sugoroku turns out to be alive and well ([[DirtyOldMan and horny]]).
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has Greed and his men misunderstanding Al's statement about how his brother "isn't here" and becoming quite apologetic towards the kid that, you know, they had kidnapped...
-->'''Al:''' ''(Thinking)'' Big Brother, for some reason they think you're dead.

* Toward the end of ''Anime/{{Planetes}}'', an episode ends with Tanabe running out of air on the surface of the moon with no hope of rescue. The next episode picks up Hachimaki's story without resolving Tanabe's until Hachi visits his old friends in the debris section, who casually refer to conditions "since we lost Tanabe". Turns out she ''was'' rescued but was on extended leave of absence until she was well enough to work again.

* In chapter 44 of ''Manga/ACentaursLife'', Shino's classmate Mii says that her dog Ichiro "went away" and "is up in the sky" leading Shino to think that the dog has died and to treat Mii extra kindly. Ichiro turns up alive at the end: he'd been staying at a kennel while the family looked for an apartment that allowed pets.

* In ''Manga/GakuenBabysitters'', Inui is smitten with his teacher Yukari and plans to confess to her, especially to comfort her because her husband is "far away". Problem is, her husband is still alive, on an archaeological site dig in Turkey, far away from Japan.

* ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', after Dent gets a face full of acid: the surgeon slowly steps out of the operating room, telling the waiting Gilda Dent and Gordons that Dent's "...gone". Cue reactions of shock and grief. Turns out he means that Dent ''escaped'', and then [[AlmostDeadGuy collapses, revealing a scalpel embedded in his back]].

* The ''ComicBook/AchilleTalon'' album "Viva Papa" starts with Talon telling his hated neighbor and best buddy Lefunest that, exemplary son that he is, he sent his parents to a better world... by booking them a tropical vacation in winter.
* In ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures: Avengers'', the team has to end up getting the help of Janet Van Dyne's father in order to help save their brainwashed teammate. When they wonder where her mother is, he uses this trope and when Storm goes to apologize for it, he corrects her in that she's just off on at tennis.
* The 79th issue of the ''ComicBook/{{Futurama}}'' comic book begins with Farnsworth stating that Scruffy is no longer with them, which turns out to mean that Scruffy is on vacation.

* ''[[http://commoncouchcrusader.deviantart.com/gallery/36069204 A Fire on the East]]'': [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Fluttershy's]] parents arrive home after a firestorm has engulfed it. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater Princess]] [[LargeHam Luna]] is standing over an unconscious Fluttershy.
-->'''Fluttershy's Dad:''' Where is she?\\
'''Princess Luna:''' Be at ease, Sundown. She is at peace.\\
'''Fluttershy's Dad:''' ''(cold stare)''\\
'''Princess Luna:''' ''(recoiling)'' [[ThatCameOutWrong Have I spoken wrongly? Do ponies not wish each other to be "at peace" in this day?]]

* ''Fanfic/LostToDust'': Medusa tells her team that she has two sisters named Euryale and Stheno and, "They aren't with us anymore." Her team assumes they are dead until Medusa clarifies that they retired from fighting and became idols.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14173757/3/Muggle-Intervention Muggle Intervention]]'' Harry's aunt and uncle are arrested for child abuse, only to be killed by other prisoners shortly afterward. When Dumbledore learns about the abuse and states that Harry has to go back to his aunt and uncle the officer he's speaking to replies that "the dead can't live with the living", leading Dumbledore to believe that it was ''Harry'' who died. The officer commenting that "at least the poor boy's in a better place now" (i.e., living with the teacher who reported the abuse) doesn't exactly help the situation.

* Happens at the end of Disney's ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' where the other explorers upon returning to the surface from their journey actually tell Whitmore that [[spoiler:Milo]] "went down with the sub" since he chose to stay behind in Atlantis instead of going back with his teammates.

* Done in ''Film/TheBrainiacsDotCom'' when Kara, the new bank clerk informs David that the previous clerk, an elderly man, has gone to the "Great Beyond", which turns out to be a retirement home (which, if you think about it, is a stupid name for people who don't want to think about death).

* A variation in the film ''Film/MoonlightAndValentino'', a woman wakes up to find her husband gone and he's left a note. She assumes he's left her and can't bring herself to read the note, so her friend, Whoopi Goldberg, reads it.
-->He ''did'' leave you. He went to the gym to play racquetball.
* A pretty major plot point in ''Film/TheBigLebowski'', where [[spoiler: Bunny Lebowski appears to have been kidnapped, but she actually just went to Palm Springs and forgot to tell anyone.]]

* In ''Film/RideLikeAGirl'', Michelle Payne returns home after visiting her father in hospital after his heart attack. She then gets a call from her sister, still at the hospital, who tells her he's "gone". Michelle promptly collapses to the floor in tears, only for Paddy to walk into the house, revealing that he's discharged himself against the doctors' instructions.
* ''Film/TheItalianJob1969'' has Professor Peach's sister tell the team (who's looking to recruit him) that he is "no longer with us" but after several misunderstandings, it turns out he's just been institutionalized.
* ''Film/TheBlackHole'': Not played for laughs when Doctor Reinhard says [=McCrea=]'s father is "no longer with us". [[spoiler:He turns out to be dead. The rest of the ''Cygnus'' crew... not exactly.]]
* ''Film/BonesAndAll:'' Maren goes in search of her MissingMom, and finds her grandmother, who tells her that her mother is "no longer with us." Maren thinks that her mother is dead, but her grandmother says that she's really in a mental institution.

* In the ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' series, every adult literally vanishes. The kids simply refer to them as "gone" and other euphemisms, but the assumption is that they did not survive whatever happened. Then in book three, it turns out they might actually just be on the other side of the [[DomedHometown dome]], although nothing has been confirmed yet and the scenes were from [[UnreliableNarrator Orsay's point of view]].
* In ''Literature/AnansiBoys'', Fat Charlie is told that an old woman he's looking for has "gone home". He thinks it means that she's dead, but no, she's just gone back to the tropical island she came from.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Treebeard tells Merry and Pippin that there have not been any Entings (that is Ent children) for a long time because they lost the Entwives. Pippin immediately asks how they all died.
-->"'They did not ''die''!' said Treebeard. 'I never said they ''died''. We lost them, I said. We lost them and we cannot find them.'"
* In ''Literature/DaisyMiller'', little Randolph Miller (who doesn't think much of Europe) tells Winterbourne, "My father's in a better place than Europe."
-->"Winterbourne imagined for a moment that this was the manner in which the child had been taught to intimate that Mr. Miller had been removed to the sphere of celestial reward. But Randolph immediately added, 'My father's in Schenectady. He's got a big business.' "

* Played with in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban''. Trelawney, the Divination teacher, makes several dire predictions during the first lesson, including that, "Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever." At right about that time of year, Hermione gets fed up with Divination and storms out of the class saying she's done with it. Several of Trelawney's more attentive students come to believe that the prediction actually referred to Hermione quitting Divination and that their interpretation of a more dire meaning was an error on their part.
* {{Inverted|Trope}} in the ''Literature/{{Philogelos}}''. A [[DitzyGenius dumb scholar]] hears that a friend is "no longer with us." He misses the point and says to "Send him my regards when he returns."

* ''Series/ICarly'' has an episode where a newspaper wrongfully states Spencer's death. He keeps up with it due to his art gaining value. Carly later tells a neighbour "Spencer's making sculptures with the angels now", although the Angels are just a charity group he went to.
* In an episode of ''Series/TheThundermans'' Max and Phoebe ask their dad what he did with [[ItMakesSenseInContext the clones of Phoebe and Dr. Colosso]]. He answers "They are at a better place now". The twins are shocked but Hank quickly clarifies that he means he brought them to their aunt Maggie to be cared for.
* In ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Will had gone to the hospital to get his tonsils removed, and befriended an elderly man named Max. After escaping, and returning to the hospital, he found Max was gone. Asking the nurse, she replied "He's gone off to a better place." (To be fair, the nurse did imply he was dead by ''sighing'', but then it shows what she thinks about her own workplace.) After Will had his tonsils removed, Max returned to his hospital room looking for his lucky hat. "Max, I thought you died." "I did die... in Pittsburgh!" It turns out "gone to a better place" meant sent to a hospital with ''cable'' in the patient's rooms.
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', Cat thinks her favourite actress has passed away, because she read "Mona Peterson Now With the Dead" in the newspaper. Turns out, ''With the Dead'' is a new TV show she's starring in.

* In ''Series/NickyRickyDickyAndDawn'', the titular characters visit their sports teacher in the hospital and are told that he's "up in the great gym now". They are shocked about his seeming passing, but it turns out the nurse meant he's literally upstairs using the facility's gym.
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'':
** Dr. Kelso got a large portrait of himself made and hung it in a hall in the hospital, then left on an extended trip. Dr. Cox placed a tiny plaque at the bottom noting Kelso's year of birth to "death", letting everyone think the Chief's absence was more permanent.
** An episode where Elliot assumes this about a man who says his wife is "not with us" and is obviously showing interest. Turns out she just wasn't there that day, and Elliot spends the rest of the episode running from the man's angry wife.
** In another example the Janitor points heavenwards when talking about his father. He quickly adds "He's not dead, he's just upstairs. Dying."
* In ''Series/{{Spaced}}'', Daisy tells Tim her dog has gone next door. He reacts sympathetically because it was his parents' euphemism for a pet dying. But she means the dog really has left for the neighbours. Meanwhile, Mike realises this means the rabbit he loved that "went next door" is dead and takes it badly.
* When Andy's sitcom is being [[ExecutiveMeddling executive meddled]] on ''{{Series/Extras}}'', he complains about a certain [[CampGay gay writer]]. When he's told not to worry, the writer "won't be with us much longer", he replies "Is it [=AIDS=]?" It's not.

* ''Series/JustShootMe'': Jack, dressed as Santa Claus, tells a boy who wishes his grandmother would come back that she isn't coming back. Turns out grandma moved to Palm Beach.
* In ''Series/WhosTheBoss'', Tony's father-in-law is telling Tony that he (the father-in-law) is going to prison. But he can't bring himself to say the word "prison" and leaves off with, "I'm going to..." So Tony assumes that [[NeverSayDie "die" was the unspeakable word]] that he was having trouble with. HilarityEnsues as the father-in-law spends the whole episode enjoying the sympathy that is accorded to a terminally ill person.
* In ''Series/YesMinister'', Humphrey says "I'm on my way out.", that there comes a time when "one passes on to pastures new, perhaps greener", and that "one has to accept what fate has in store, when one passes on". The Minister asks when he found out, whether he's told his wife, and how long they gave him ("Oh, just a few weeks... but it will give me enough time to sort everything out"). When the Minister says that Humphrey is taking it well, Humphrey replies that he's "a little anxious, of course", but that although "one is always a little wary of the unknown, but I have faith somehow I will muddle through". It transpires, of course, that he's talking about a promotion that will take him away from the department. The Minister tries to pretend he hadn't been about to cry.
* An episode of ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' had Zack con his friends into thinking Slater would die unless they were so mean to him he'd want to leave for Hawaii to get treated had a conversation like this between Jessie and Belding, where he rather flippantly told her that Slater would not be with them for much longer.
* Essentially the whole of the last episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': Dr Crane's accepted a new job in San Francisco, but all the other characters think he's dying (he's just back from the doctors and is constantly weeping due to a bad botox injection he got there, he's giving away possessions he 'won't need anymore' etc). He thinks they already know and so launches into a long speech about moving on to better places, how they shouldn't be sad, how when he passes through that Golden Gate he'll be smiling...
** A very similar example happened on an earlier episode with Martin and Daphne.
* ''Series/BarneyMiller'': Episode "[[Recap/BarneyMillerS3E12 Smog Alert]]" had Det. Fish in the hospital. At one point Wojo tells Barney "They lost him." Barney is grief-stricken, then Wojo clarifies that the hospital staff ''literally'' lost him.
* On an episode of ''Series/AllAussieAdventures'', Russell Coight says this while talking about his first wife. He quickly reveals that she is alive but left him for another man.
* ''Series/FamilyMatters'', when young Richie is annoyed at having to wear a suit:
-->'''Richie:''' I haven't had to dress up since Uncle Louie bought the farm!\\
'''Steve:''' Oh, Richie, I didn't know your Uncle Louie died.\\
'''Richie:''' No, he didn't! He bought a farm!

* Series one of ''Series/TheCatherineTateShow'' featured the character of an unhelpful information-desk worker in a shopping centre. In one episode she is approached by a customer who has "lost her mother", and the information-desk worker replies that she is sorry to hear this, but it turns out the customer has just got separated from her mother in the store.
* In series two of ''Series/TwoPointFourChildren'', David has to be rushed to hospital with tetanus. A doctor tells the Porters that "we've lost him", and they break down thinking David has died. It turns out the hospital has literally lost David due to a computer failure that means they can't check which ward he's on.
* It happened in ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' when Shirley was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy. The nurse tells Laverne and the others, "I'm afraid she's gone," whereupon everybody freaks out. The nurse means that Shirley has disappeared.
* One episode of ''Series/AsTimeGoesBy'' has [[TheEeyore Aunt Penny]] convinced she's going to die during a minor operation and half-convincing (or really convincing her poor husband Stephen) everyone else of that too. So when they find her bed empty and the senile patient in the next bed says "She's gone--they took her away!" Stephen faints. (They wheel Penny in a few minutes later; the staff had moved her to a different room because the other patient was making a racket all night and she couldn't get any sleep.)
* Zig-zagged with the departure of Miguel Ferrer from ''Series/NCISLosAngeles''. Hetty goes to the hospital to visit Granger, but finds an empty bed; when she asks after him, the nurse says "he's gone." Cue shocked look on Hetty's face...followed by the nurse saying that he had simply pulled out his tubes, gotten dressed and left on his own. He wrote her a note saying that he didn't want to waste his remaining time in a hospital bed, and left it to her to explain his absence to the team. All this was done in response to the real-life passing of Ferrer in early 2017.
* Similar to the ''Barney Miller'' episode above is the ''Series/{{Mash}}'' episode [[Recap/MashS3E12AFullRichDay "A Full, Rich Day"]], where this trope gets a [[ZigzaggedTrope full workout]]. Along with the other insanity currently going on at the 4077th[[note]] An AxeCrazy Turkish soldier who refuses to be treated and [[BloodKnight just wants to go back to the front]]; a US lieutenant holding the doctors hostage until his buddy gets bumped to the top of the triage queue[[/note]] the doctors lose a soldier from Luxembourg. In both senses of the term -- Pvt. [=LeClerque=] died, ''and'' the 4077th can't find his body. Which becomes awkward when his CO comes back wanting to retrieve his body personally for burial[[note]] As UsefulNotes/{{Luxembourg}} is a tiny nation, every one of its sons is precious to them and they want him back for burial with honors[[/note]]. Of course, Col. Blake pours on the diplomacy when he declares [[DiggingYourselfDeeper "We lose them all the time."]]. In the end, it becomes purely this trope, as [=LeClerque=] is found -- completely alive. When to mollify the Luxemburgisch colonel they play the Luxembourg national anthem as part of a memorial service, [=LeClerque=] (who'd been in a full body cast and therefore repeatedly overlooked) gets out of bed and walks under his own power to his CO.
-->'''Hawkeye''': I thought you said he was dead!\\
'''Trapper John''': ''[shrugs]'' He got better.

* In ''Series/{{Suburgatory}}'': Mr. Wolfe tells Tessa (and the rest of the school) that Misty, the girl who used to live in Tessa's house, went to "a better place." Everyone is surprised when Misty shows up later in the episode, revealing that "A Better Place" is the name of her new boarding school.

* {{Inverted|Trope}} in the ''Literature/Philogelos''. A [[DitzyGenius dumb scholar]] hears that a friend is "no longer with us." He misses the point and says to "Send him my regards when he returns."

* In a ''Comicstrip/TheBroons'' story, Maw and the Bairn get on the bus but can't sit next to each other because it's crowded. As they pass the cemetery, the Bairn tells the woman she's sitting next to that her Grandpaw is in there and can't play with her. The woman feels sorry for her losing her Grandpaw, and gives her money for sweets, and is shocked when she talks to Maw as they get off the bus, since Maw says she's glad Grandpaw's out from under her feet. Then they go to the cemetery, where Grandpaw tells them that he'll play with the Bairn as soon as he's finished weeding the plots.

* In ''FanFic/ACureForLove'' [[Manga/DeathNote L]] has the following exchange with Mello after Light [[spoiler: ran off to TakeOverTheWorld]] and [[MetaphoricallyTrue L told everyone that Light is dead:]]