Re: Common World Idioms
From: | John Cowan <cowan@...> |
Date: | Friday, February 6, 2004, 4:45 |
Roger Mills scripsit:
> Don't recall ever hearing about its origin-- must google! It's very old;
> oddly, I've always associated it with cows kicking over the bucket
> while being milked, but don't see what that has to do with dying.
> On Apr. 12, 1945, my little 9yr old cousin came running home from
> school and shocked his mother by saying "Guess who just kicked the
> bucket!?" (A: President Roosevelt)
I've always assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that it refers to kicking away
the bucket you are standing on when you hang yourself.
--
"While staying with the Asonu, I met a man from John Cowan
the Candensian plane, which is very much like jcowan@reutershealth.com
ours, only more of it consists of Toronto." http://:www.ccil.org/~cowan
--the unnamed narrator of Le Guin's _Changing Planes_
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