kiss of death

kiss of death

An action, event, or association that causes inevitable ruin or failure. An allusion to Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus Christ, during which Judas kissed Jesus as a way of identifying him to those who would put him to death. The company's connection to the disgraced media mogul will likely prove to be its kiss of death. The president refused to stand by the senator during the crisis—essentially giving him the kiss of death.
See also: death, kiss, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

kiss of death

An action or relationship that is ultimately ruinous. For example, Some regard a royal divorce as a kiss of death to the monarchy. This term alludes to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, who kissed him as a way of identifying him to the soldiers who came to arrest him (Matthew 26: 47-49). It dates only from about 1940 but was previously called a Judas kiss.
See also: death, kiss, of
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

the kiss of death

COMMON If an event or action is the kiss of death for something, it is certain to cause that thing to fail or be ruined. The conventional view of the timber industry is that it is the kiss of death for a rainforest. Living with other painters is the kiss of death. Note: This expression refers to the Bible story of how Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him. This identified Jesus to the Romans, and led to his arrest and crucifixion.
See also: death, kiss, of
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

kiss of death

an action or event that causes certain failure for an enterprise.
This expression may refer to the kiss of betrayal given by Judas Iscariot to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:48–9).
1998 Spectator I commend the Commission's recent Green Paper and its efforts to introduce an enlightened, evolutionary discussion—although I hope my saying so will not be the kiss of death.
See also: death, kiss, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the kiss of ˈdeath

(informal, often humorous) an action or event that seems good, but is certain to make something else fail: When the chairman said he had every confidence in me, I knew it was the kiss of death. A week later I was looking for another job.
See also: death, kiss, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

kiss of death

n. the direct cause of the end of someone or something. Your attitude was the kiss of death for your employment here.
See also: death, kiss, of
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

kiss of death, a/the

A destructive or fatal relationship or action, undertaken with seemingly good intentions. The term refers to the betrayal of Jesus by his disciple, Judas Iscariot, who pointed out Jesus to his enemies by kissing him (Matthew 26:47–49). Although the term Judas kiss signified such a betrayal from the sixteenth century, the current cliché dates only from about 1940 and does not necessarily signify treason or disloyalty. For example, publishing an attractive gift book too late to take advantage of Christmas sales might be said to give it the kiss of death—that is, the poor timing will result in significantly fewer copies being sold.
See also: kiss, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • kiss of death, a/the
  • the kiss of death
  • Judas
  • Judas kiss
  • a Judas kiss
  • the mark of Cain
  • strike out at (something or some place)
  • be moonstruck
  • end run
  • an end run
References in periodicals archive
But Kiss Of Death is quite dark and disgusting at points.
TV preview: Stars get their Death wish; PICK OF THE WEEK KISS OF DEATH, Monday, BBC1,9pm
Widmark finally capitulated to Hollywood, signing a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox and landing his starmaking role in "Kiss of Death." "Street With No Name," "Road House" and the Western "Yellow Sky" furthered his ascent to full-fledged stardom.
Widmark played the villain
In more lyrical passages, such as bar 5 of the following Adagio affettuoso, he sounds highly expressive with just a hint of tightness and thinness in the tone: there is no sense in his performance of autopilot beauty, the most effective kiss of death to music making.
Brahms: Sonatas for Pianoforte and Cello
For example, putting an electronic newsletter into a bulletin board format is the kiss of death. Unless people have a real interest in something, they simply won't access it," Smolar adds.
Putting the employee newsletter on-line
It rouses itself to scare up a light chill at the end but hopefully it's the kiss of death for this franchise.
Sequel gives up the ghost; NOW SHOWING; Films
This was the sentiment of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno which branded as a "kiss of death'' the impending privatization of the Dr.
Privatization of Fabella slammed
ICE BLUE J Birds fly across a frozen landscape KISS OF DEATH J These long-legged flies are fighting DUELn An Arctic fox confronts a snow goose on Wrangel Island, Russia DIVE-BY J This Australian flying fox bat swoops down for a drink MIRROR Z IMAGE Two cheetahs in Tanzania STOP, THIEF n A golden eagle in Bulgaria chases off a fox which tried to share its kill NATURAL HIGH A lion rests in the branches of a tree in Uganda FEEDING Z FRENZY A gannet tries to grab a herring, chased by cormorants FISH SUPPER J A Canadian spirit bear eats salmon TURTLE 3 RELAXATION Swimming off Tenerife PRIMAL 3 FEAR A tethered baboon looks terrified as it is carried by children in Mozambique
Tenerife & BEAUTY BRUTALITY; STUNNING PICTURES CAPTURE ALL SIDES OF NATURAL WORLD
Unfortunately, the only gay in the village - well, who's so far come out and we'll leave fitness freak Nikhil out of this - has as much of a kiss of death about him as his mum Chas.
Scrum down
PAGES 6&7 COMIC ROB IN BID FOR XMAS NO.1 Page 17 Uni merger 'kiss of death' warning A VICE-CHANCELLOR has warned that merging universities with vocational institutions would be the "kiss of death" for enterprise.
...NEWSFILE..
Free screenings in the Hex on Saturday include Red Shift and The Kiss of Death.
Trip down memory lane
Fisher said that research has shown that the majority of men and women rate their first kiss as either "the kiss of death" or the blossoming of a new relationship.
Why men like wet kisses with more 'tongue action'
HAVING read your article about the gritty job of spreading a mountain of salt, I was dismayed at the realisation that all of our fresh water amphibian life in our ponds, wetlands, ditches, etc will soon be given the kiss of death by councils eager to maintain roads fit for driving.
Letter: Straight to the point
Kilroy-Silk appeared to take an instant dislike to Joe Cole's girlfriend Carly Zucker and his bully-boy tactics with the pretty WAG may prove to be the kiss of death for the permanently tanned 66-year-old.
ROBERT KILROY-SILK; TV SPECIALS
Lyndsey Marshal - who starred as Cleopatra in the lavish BBC series Rome - had to forgo any personal vanity for her role as a forensic scientist in the BBC1 crime drama Kiss of Death, on bank holiday Monday.
overheard
He made his film debut in 1947 as a killer in Kiss of Death and became a leading man in Broken Lance, Two Rode Together and 40 other films.
Tough guy actor dies aged 93