“Kick the bucket” is an English euphemism for death, possibly originating from a suspended beam used for slaughtering animals or the gallows. Other euphemisms for death include “bite the dust” and “buy the farm”. The phrase has been in use since at least the 18th century and has inspired related expressions like “bucket list”. The origin of the phrase is uncertain, but it may come from the French word “buque” meaning wooden beam. The phrase is often used in popular culture, including the film “The Bucket List”.
“Kick the bucket” is one of several English euphemisms for death. There are various theories about the origin of the phrase; the most likely involves a suspended beam used to slaughter cattle. This has been linked to the gallows, or scaffold, a device that was once employed in public executions. “Kick the bucket” has been in use since at least the 18th century, long enough to inspire related popular expressions. These include “kick offs” and “bucket lists”.
The English language is famous for its euphemisms, indirect and often humorous expressions for common experiences. Especially numerous are the euphemisms for death and sexual topics, probably because these topics were not thought suitable for polite conversation in bygone eras. Other curious English expressions for death include “bite the dust”, “buy the farm” and “graak”. “Kick the bucket” was first recorded in 1785, in a dictionary of commonly used phrases. This means that the term may be much older; the connection of the “bucket” with executions dates back to at least the 16th century.
The most likely explanation of “toss the bucket” connects it to the French word buque, which means wooden beam or yoke. This entered English as the word “bucket”, unrelated to the word’s more common meaning of “bucket”; “bucket” still carries this unique meaning in some regions of England. In pre-industrial times, it was common for farmers or butchers to suspend a pig from an elevated beam before slaughter. The animal often struggled during this process, striking its hooves against the suspension beam. In other words, he would literally throw a tantrum.
Another explanation links the phrase to hangings, both those of suicides and public executions. One theory is that the victim would stand on a bucket which would then be kicked aside. More likely, the “bucket” referred to the overhead beam used to suspend the noose, otherwise known as the gallows or gibbet. Shakespeare uses the word “bucket” in this way in his play Henry IV Part II, first performed in 1597. Of course, a hanging victim would not be able to kick that particular bucket, leading linguistic authorities to question whether this explanation.
The phrase is often used in popular culture. In the 1963 film comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a character actually kicks a bucket as he dies. A hit film in 2007 was called The Bucket List, after a checklist of tasks that two terminally ill patients want to complete before they “pull the bucket.” The film was a worldwide success and brought the phrase “bucket list” into the English language.
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