After the sun sets it comes up the next morning, so saying someone is "sunsetting" something would be more of a long reboot than getting rid of the thing or shutting it down.

Why is this term used?

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[–] 69 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I've always associated it with the classic “riding into the sunset” storytelling trope, which is often used to symbolize the end of a journey or of a chapter of the rider's life.

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  • This seems right to me. It's the lone gunman riding into the sunset at the end of a Western. The big action has concluded and the end is in sight.

    It's the Hollywood version of "it ain't over until the fat lady sings." Which is a questionable phrase by today's standards but shows how we come up with weird proverbs surrounding stuff ending.

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  • I think that's supposed to indicate a careless badass.

    Because usually you ride off in the morning into the sunrise. To ride into the sunset means you'll be going out at night, when you can't see and navigating is magnitudes more difficult (though also it's easier to hide, if you're a wanted fugitive)

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