Thought no. 901

while i was talking to a good ole' friend of mine (whom i haven't seen for 2 years now), we'll call him Mr. CTKS, he mentioned a phrase that got me thinking.

the phrase being "kick the bucket"

i know it means death (if you didn't, now you do).

BUT!! how did kicking an inanimate object whose main purpose is to hold liquid,
become associated with death?

I mean, was like a "kick to the nuts" rightfully describes pain to the threshold of death. but the bucket? ~.-?

What happens when you kick an actual bucket in real life might help describe this analogy. You kick a bucket, it topples over, thus spilling out some liquid (if it holds any) and you may get a crack on it.

Nope. No connection with death...at least none that I can see.

My only explanation for this symbolism, is that back in the day, some douche on a ventilator decided to kick a metal bucket that ricocheted off another object hitting his ventilator causing him to die.
Hence, you know, he kicked the bucket.