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Everyone knows "kick the bucket" means to die, but few understand why. We asked the Grim Reaper for a quick explanation. Unfortunately, the Reaper was busy, so we consulted the Web. Macho site "AskMen.com" asserts that the phrase comes from "an old-school suicide technique." The depressed person would allegedly stand atop a bucket with his or her head in a noose, then kick away the bucket and take a one-way trip to the great beyond. Mavens' Word of the Day agrees this might be the answer, but offers another, even more gruesome, possibility. Slaughtered hogs "were traditionally hung by their heels on a high wooden block." This block was
called a bucket because the ill-fated hogs were hoisted with a rope and pulley in a manner similar to how a bucket of water is pulled from a well. "Supposedly, the hogs' dying struggles as they kicked against this so-called bucket led to the birth of the idiom." This answer isn't definitive, but it's worth noting that Word Origins offers a similar explanation, as does Word Detective. Of course, we all have to die eventually, so remember to enjoy yourself and live life to the fullest. Speaking of which, anyone up for a game of "kick the can"? It's a lot more fun than
kicking the bucket.
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