To kick the bucket is an English idiom that is defined as "to die" in the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785). It is considered a euphemistic, informal, or slang term. Its origin remains unclear, though there have been several theories.
Read more about Kick The Bucket: Origin Theories, American Variations
Famous quotes containing the words kick the, kick and/or bucket:
“As a general rule, do not kick the shins of the opposite gentleman under the table, if personally unaquainted with him; your pleasantry is liable to be misunderstood—a circumstance at all times unpleasant.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“Look Johnny, Spig just joined the Navy. I’m married to it. I run the mess hall. I swab the deck. I chip the rust. You’re afraid that they’ll kick Spig out of the Navy. I’m afraid that they won’t.”
—Frank Fenton, William Wister Haines, co-scenarist, and John Ford. Minne Wead (Maureen O’Hara)
“She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal who’d take a drink if she had to knock me down to get the bottle.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)