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Is this a saying in German? I’ve definitely heard this in the UK in English before, referring to machines/electronics dying.

Yes, den Geist aufgeben, never heard it in English from non-German speakers, but TIL.

Along with letting out the magic smoke.

"Giving up the ghost" was the name of a BT song about dying, from 1999.

Werewolves in "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" (1993) would literally produce their ghost as part of their death animation.

I don't hear it often but it's been part of the English vernacular for at least 30 years, and certainly before my time.

Interesting, it's very common in German, and I've only ever heard Germans saying it in English.

I'm a native US English speaker and I'm familiar with this idiom.

Disagree - common idiom in the UK.