To die, used as a humorous or casual euphemism for death.
There are several theories about this phrase's origin, but the most likely stems from the Norfolk dialect word 'bucket,' meaning a wooden beam from which slaughtered pigs were hung. When the animals were hung from this beam, their final movements would cause them to 'kick the bucket.' The phrase appeared in written English by the 18th century.
What's darkly humorous about this phrase is how it transforms the serious topic of death into something almost slapstick - the image of literally kicking a bucket seems absurdly mundane for such a profound event. This demonstrates how euphemisms often work by deflecting emotional weight through unexpected imagery, making difficult topics more manageable to discuss.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.