# Zap! You're faded! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163 "2006-09-02T03:49:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/1 "2006-09-02T03:49:17Z")
Dad used to say that when I was a kid. In usage it was like saying, ‘Bang! You’re dead!’ I was reading a WWII book a while ago (I don’t remember which one) where ‘faded’ was mentioned once; but I got the impression that it meant to be dead. (e.g., Lt. McGhostly got in front of an ME and he was faded.) I can see the symbolism: As someone dies, he may ‘fade away’. Or a ghost may fade away. But where did the phrase originate? A film? Comic book? Song? When did it originate? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/2 "2006-09-02T03:56:26Z")
I would expect it follows from a quote attributed to Douglas MacArthur > [@Gen. Douglas MacArthur](#): > > Old soldiers never die; they just fade away. And like the old soldier in that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the sight to see that duty. from [here](http://www.quoteopia.com/famous.php?quotesby=douglasmacarthur). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/3 "2006-09-02T04:16:16Z")
I thought of that, but the usage seems more… I don’t know… ‘pulp’. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/4 "2006-09-02T04:59:41Z")
On second thought, MacArthur is probably not the source. He said this quote at his retirement, well after WWII, the time of your story. In his quote he mentions an old ballad ([this](http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiOLDSOLDR;ttHPPYLAND.html) is the best I can find of that), perhaps both the story and his quote would be traced to the same source. In looking for the lyrics, I ran across some info that said that this was a popular song in barracks and dated back to WWI. I can’t remember now which sites said that, but if you like I can look again. Still not very pulpy, though. All in all, not much help, but maybe a start? ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/5 "2006-09-02T05:38:41Z")
I have a vague impression this was in a song…“you wait a long time and zap, you faded” (?) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/6 "2006-09-02T11:07:45Z")
One of the **very** early TV sci-fi shows? Captain Video? I can’t swear to it… ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/7 "2006-09-02T11:39:52Z")
I have a memory of “You’re faded” meaning that someone’s offered bet was accepted. I tried to google for it, but the “faded+gambling” brings up about three quarters of a billion online casinos and I couldn’t separate the wheat from the chaff. If it does tie back to a gambing term it might refer to a lost bet. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/8 "2006-09-02T13:44:28Z")
> [@CJJ\*](#): > > I have a vague impression this was in a song…“you wait a long time and zap, you faded” (?) I don’t think I ever heard dad sing that or use that whole phrase. But it does sound very vaguely familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/9 "2006-09-02T16:13:58Z")
> [@Bill Door](#): > > If it does tie back to a gambing term it might refer to a lost bet. The gambling term is from the game of craps. > [@](#): > > A shooter puts some money down and another player or players fade him. The player is betting he will win, the faders betting he will lose. From [here](http://www.peaceteambook.org/Arts-and-Entertainment/Casino-Gambling/15729;;Introduction-to-Craps.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/10 "2006-09-04T02:12:39Z")
The expression “Shoot, you’re faded” goes back to at least 100 years. Henry Wallace Phillips used it his book “Mr. Scraggs” in 1903. More than one airplane in World War II was named [“Shoot, You’re Faded.”](http://www.40thbombgroup.org/images/Chandler/Chandler10.jpg) “Shoot” instead of “zap” makes sense if it’s a craps thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zap-youre-faded/371163/11 "2006-09-04T03:43:02Z")
Well, there are dice next to the name, in the picture. Perhaps we’re on to something here.