Usually used as such: "X has up-and-died on me." X can be a piece of machinery, an electronic gadget, an OS or program, or an animal. This phrase is kind of odd when you think about it, because the chances of, say, your cat dying whilst it happens to be lying directly on top of you are slim to none. Ditto with your car. It carries the connotation that X has become dead for no apparent reason, and often rather suddenly.