Kicking the Bucket and Buying the Farm

04/20/09 08:34 PM Filed in: Trivia
kick-the-bucket
I recently saw an article citing the origins of some of the most common phrases we all use. It got me wondering about the origins of some of the euphemisms we use surrounding death. Although a little gruesome one could argue they aren’t as graphic as most nursery rhymes. I found several phrases at www.phrases.org.uk and www.dictionary.com and picked two to highlight.

The phrase “kick the bucket” can be traced back to 1785 in reference to dying. The connection may have been in relation to hangings when the bucket that the victim (or criminal) was standing on was kicked out from beneath them. In addition, the wooden frame used to hang animals in England as early as the 1500’s was also called a bucket. It was not unusual for an animal to kick the bucket during slaughter.

The phrase “bought the farm” may have numerous origins as well. A 20th century phrase, it refers mostly to people who die in an accident or military action. In reference to a military plane crashing, the term bought the farm was coined as the owner of the farm could sue the government for compensation, usually enough to pay off the mortgage. Thus, the pilot bought the farm with his life being paid as the price. It was also used by servicemen killed in action whose family received a payout from insurance, again, usually enough to pay off the farm, or the mortgage.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Alex Trebek won’t be asking these questions on Jeopardy anytime soon, but it’s still fun to know.
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