Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
There are many theories as to where this idiom comes from, but the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) discusses the following:
- A person standing on a pail or bucket with their head in a slip noose would kick the bucket so as to commit suicide. The OED, however, says this is mainly speculative;
- The OED describes as more plausible the archaic use of "bucket" as a beam from which a pig is hung by its feet prior to being slaughtered. To kick the bucket, then, originally signified the pig's death throes;
Another explanation is given by a Roman Catholic Bishop, The Right Reverend Abbot Horne, F.S.A. He records on page 6 of his booklet "Relics of Popery" Catholic Truth Society London, 1949, the following:
- "After death, when a body had been laid out, ... and ... the holy-water bucket was brought from the church and put at the feet of the corpse. When friend came to pray... they would sprinkle the body with holy water .. it is easy to see how such a saying as " kicking the bucket " came about. Many other explanations of this saying have been given by persons who are unacquainted with Catholic custom"
[edit] Pronunciation
kick the bucket
- (idiomatic, euphemism) To die
- The old horse finally kicked the bucket.
- (idiomatic, slang) Of a machine, to break down such that it cannot be repaired.
- I think my sewing machine has kicked the bucket.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Translations
to die
- Afrikaans: skop die emmer af(af) "kick the bucket", gee die gees af(af) "give up the ghost", steek die lepel in die dak af(af) "stick the spoon into the roof", gaan bokveld toe af(af) "go to (the) buck/goat field", verwissel die tydelike met die ewige af(af) "exchange the temporary for the eternal"
- Albanian: drodhi këmbën sq(sq) idiom, literary: "twitched the leg"
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 翹辮子 cmn(cmn), 翘辫子 cmn(cmn) (qiào biànzi) (raise the plait)
- Czech: zaklepat bačkorama cs(cs) idiom, literary: "to clap a pair of slippers"
- Dutch: de pijp aan Maarten geven nl(nl), het loodje leggen nl(nl)
- Finnish: potkaista tyhjää fi(fi) lit., "to kick a void"
- French: passer l'arme à gauche fr(fr) "pass the weapon to the left", casser sa pipe fr(fr) "to break one's smoking pipe"
- German: den Löffel abgeben de(de) "give away the spoon"
- Hungarian: elpatkol hu(hu), felrúgja a gyertyát hu(hu), beadja a kulcsot hu(hu), feldobja a bakancsot hu(hu)
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- Japanese: くたばる ja(ja) (kutabaru)
- Polish: kopnąć w kalendarz pl(pl), odwalić kitę pl(pl)
- Romanian: a da colţul ro(ro) "turn around the corner", a da ortul popii ro(ro) "pay a coin to the priest"
- Russian: сыграть в ящик ru(ru) (play into the casket), почить в бозе ru(ru) (sleep in God) (solemn or ironical), преставиться ru(ru), приказать долго жить ru(ru) (order to live long), откинуть копыта ru(ru) (throw away the hooves), протянуть ноги ru(ru) (stretch the legs), дать дуба ru(ru) (give some oak), коньки отбросить ru(ru) (kon'kí otbrósit') (throw away the skates)
- Spanish: estirar la pata es(es) "stretch the leg" or colgar los guayos es(es) "hang the football shoes"
- Swedish: kila runt hörnet sv(sv) "go around the corner", ta ner skylten sv(sv) "take the sign down".
- Telugu: బాల్చీ తన్ను te(te) (baalchee tannu)
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to break down beyond repair
