The term may have been introduced into English from the French trébuchet - meaning a balance, or buque - meaning a yoke. The mist begins to clear when we know that, in 16th century England, bucket had an additional meaning (and in some parts it still has), that is, a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. This theory doesn't stand up any better than the supposed buckets did. However, there are no citations that relate the phrase to suicide and, in any case, why a bucket? Whenever I've needed something to stand on I can't recall ever opting for a bucket. ![]() One theory, albeit with little evidence to support it, is that the phrase originates from the notion that people hanged themselves by standing on a bucket with a noose around their neck and then kicking the bucket away. ![]() Useful advice if standing on a bucket - don't kick it. The link between buckets and death was made by at least 1785, when the phrase was defined in Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: Why should kicking one be associated with dying? We all know what a bucket is - and so this phrase appears rather odd. What's the origin of the phrase 'Kick the bucket'? 'Kick the bucket' is a colloquial expression for 'die'. 23 English Proverbs What's the meaning of the phrase 'Kick the bucket'?
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