-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
Kicked the can.
- Thread starter G G Jean
- Start date
Lloyd
master brummie
The Phrase Finder (https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/218800.html) says:
The link between buckets and death was made by at least 1785, when the phrase was defined in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:
The mist begins to clear with the fact that in 16th century England bucket had an additional meaning (and in some parts it still has), i.e. a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. The term may have been introduced into English from the French trébuchet - meaning a balance, or buque - meaning a yoke. That meaning of bucket was referred to in Peter Levins' Manipulus vocabulorum. A dictionarie of English and Latine wordes, 1570:
The link between buckets and death was made by at least 1785, when the phrase was defined in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:
"To kick the bucket, to die."
One theory as to why, 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. 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. This theory doesn't stand up any better than the supposed buckets did.
The mist begins to clear with the fact that in 16th century England bucket had an additional meaning (and in some parts it still has), i.e. a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. The term may have been introduced into English from the French trébuchet - meaning a balance, or buque - meaning a yoke. That meaning of bucket was referred to in Peter Levins' Manipulus vocabulorum. A dictionarie of English and Latine wordes, 1570:
"A Bucket, beame, tollo."
and was used by Shakespeare in Henry IV Part II, 1597:
"Swifter then he that gibbets on the Brewers Bucket." [to gibbet meant to hang]
The wooden frame that was used to hang animals up by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. Not unnaturally they were likely to struggle or to spasm after death and hence 'kick the bucket'.
maggs
master brummie
Yes jean, I agree with what you say here. I also remember being told it was unlucky in the form of death for kicking a can, and I still wouldn't do it to this day.
Well, I don't know about death, but my old dad used to cuff my lug if he caught me kicking a can around!
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
This is where the G.G. comes from silly me i thought it was because you liked the occasional roll in the grass. I remember an old film i think it was "A Mad Mad World " there was a scene with Snozle Derranti (no the spellings wrong) where he,s in a death scene which at the end of he kicks this empty bucket. Dek
OtherHalf
posher half
I dont know about that Carolynn as a very young lad we played kick the can in a tenement square in Cambuslang Glasgow that was 50s I never played it when back in Brum ?
Alf
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Great fun Dek I watch it nearly everytime its on TV some great stars.