IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishkick the bucket
Meaning: To die.
Example: “His old lawnmower finally kicked the bucket.”
Equivalents in other languages
Finnish: Heittää lusikka nurkkaan Literally: To throw the spoon in the corner
German: Den Löffel abgeben Literally: To hand over the spoon- German: über den Jordan gehen Literally: To go over the Jordan
Russian: отбросить копыта (otbrosit' kopyta) Literally: To throw off hooves- Russian: сыграть в ящик (sygrat' v yashchik) Literally: To play in a box
French: Passer l'arme à gauche Literally: To pass the weapon to the left
Origin: Recorded from the late 18th century (Francis Grose's slang dictionary, 1785), with an uncertain origin. One theory points to a "bucket," a dialect word for a beam from which slaughtered animals were hung by the heels; another to a person standing on a bucket to hang themselves. Neither is confirmed.
More English idioms
- kick up one's heels To have a lively and fun time, usually at a party or dance.
- knock someone for a loop To shock, surprise, or astound someone.
- not know if one is coming or going To be confused and disoriented.
- live in the lap of luxury To be very comfortable because one is well-off financially.
- last but not least The final item on a list, but not the least important.
- last-ditch effort A very strenuous final attempt.
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