Kick the
Bucket! �Do NOT
look this Phrase up in the Dictionary!�
As you know, I�m a stickler
for the Rules, so I didn�t look this phrase up in a Dictionary.
Instead, I looked it up in
the �Entertaining
Stories of Language Phrases�,
(ESLP, OUP, UK). This book is one
of a series regarding hobbies, which includes �The Nervous Parachutist�,
by Hugo Furst; �Scandinavian Photography�, by Matt Finnish; and �Expert
Carpet Fitting�, by Walter Wall.
I was quite surprised to
discover that this phrase originally began at the time of �Magna Carta�,
(Latin, �The Big Map�), in 1215. Nowadays,
of course, we have �The Big Mac�.
Naturally, you will know
that Latin has had a great influence on English life. The fact that the Rumba, Tango, and
Cha-Cha-Cha were extremely popular dances shows the Latin influence on British
entertainment.
However, Latin had very
little influence on the English language, per se. I think the only Latin phrase to have
survived is: �Sic Transit Gloria Mundi�, which translates as: �Gloria
was sick coming over on Monday�.
The phrase, �Kick the Bucket�,
originated from the duties of the Town Crier.
He was the official appointed to �Kick the Bucket� around the town, at six in the
morning, to wake the citizens. Metal
buckets hadn�t been invented then, so a leather bucket was used, which made no
noise. Consequently, the wealthy people
weren�t disturbed, and they slept on.
However, the Town Crier had
bare feet. Every time he kicked the
bucket, he cried with pain, (hence the title, �Town Crier�). His howls of agony woke the poor people,
because it was the only entertainment that they got. Moreover, they couldn�t get cuckoo clocks,
because Switzerland hadn�t been invented at that time.
Around this period, there
were huge population movements, resulting in the Great Vowel Shift and later,
the Semantic Shift, which affected how language was spoken. It began in ancient times, with the
literature of the great sea-trading nations: �The Torn Greek Trousers�
by Euripides? This was followed a very
short time later by: �The Repaired Greek Trousers� by
Eumenides?
This seaman tick language
progression was cleverly spotted by Maryse Pey� and can clearly be seen in the
following Table, taken from: �Political Correctness�, by Noah
Fence.
Kick the Bucket
Cork the Picket
Cook the Biscuit
Cawk the Basket
Cock the Bracket
Cake the Briquette
Brake the Coquette
Brick the Croquet
Block the Cricket
Black the Crockett
Crack the Blanket
Tear the Sheet
Rip the Eiderdown
Sip the Cider Down
Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum
Yes! �Kick the Bucket� was the
inspiration for the seafaring novel, �Treasure Island�, by Hyde Ann Seek, which gave us that Famous
Question, followed by that even More Famous Answer:
�Dad, why are Pirates,
Pirates?�
�Because they �Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah�, Jim lad�.
Les
