Origin of Phrases - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Hocus-Smokus Apr 03, 2009 14:03:35	As I do so love the folks in the OTT, I thought I'd see how smart/trivia-savvy they are. A cookie to whoever can give me the origin of the following phrases: -Kicked the Bucket -Bought the Farm -Cleaned His Clock -Minding Your P's and Q's. -Referring to Coffee as "A Cup of Joe" -How Marijuanna Came to be Called "Pot" Feel free to add more. I love seeing the answers people come up with. Remember, no fair Googling!
#2 krownhunter07 Apr 03, 2009 14:24:30	As I do so love the folks in the OTT, I thought I'd see how smart/trivia-savvy they are. A cookie to whoever can give me the origin of the following phrases: -Kicked the Bucket -Bought the Farm -Cleaned His Clock -Minding Your P's and Q's. -Referring to Coffee as "A Cup of Joe" -How Marijuanna Came to be Called "Pot" Feel free to add more. I love seeing the answers people come up with. Remember, no fair Googling! Kick the bucket Show Meaning To die. Origin We all know what a bucket is - and so this phrase appears rather odd. Why should kicking one be associated with dying? The link between buckets and death was made by at least 1785, when the phrase was defined in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: "To kick the bucket, to die." One theory as to why, albeit with little evidence to support it, is that the phrase originates from the notion that people hanged themselves by standing on a bucket with a noose around their neck and then kicking the bucket away. There are no citations that relate the phrase to suicide and, in any case, why a bucket? Whenever I've needed something to stand on I can't recall ever opting for a bucket. This theory doesn't stand up any better than the supposed buckets did. The mist begins to clear with the fact that in 16th century England bucket had an additional meaning (and in some parts it still has), i.e. a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. The term may have been introduced into English from the French trébuchet - meaning a balance, or buque - meaning a yoke. That meaning of bucket was referred to in Peter Levins' Manipulus vocabulorum. A dictionarie of English and Latine wordes, 1570: "A Bucket, beame, tollo." and was used by Shakespeare in Henry IV Part II, 1597: "Swifter then he that gibbets on the Brewers Bucket." [to gibbet meant to hang] The wooden frame that was used to hang animals up by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. Not unnaturally they were likely to struggle or to spasm after death and hence 'kick the bucket'.
#3 p5ych0k1n3515_dup Apr 03, 2009 14:27:16	Aw, you beat me to it. I was going to copy and paste those website answers too for some Forum Cred.
#4 Idolis Apr 03, 2009 14:29:11	Pot: "marijuana" 1938 probably a shortened form of the Mexican Sp. word potiguaya or "marijuana plant"
#5 Idolis Apr 03, 2009 14:29:48	Dammit, ninja'd. Shoot.

Show

Meaning

To die.

Origin

We all know what a bucket is - and so this phrase appears rather odd. Why should kicking one be associated with dying?

The link between buckets and death was made by at least 1785, when the phrase was defined in Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:

"To kick the bucket, to die."

One theory as to why, albeit with little evidence to support it, is that the phrase originates from the notion that people hanged themselves by standing on a bucket with a noose around their neck and then kicking the bucket away. There are no citations that relate the phrase to suicide and, in any case, why a bucket? Whenever I've needed something to stand on I can't recall ever opting for a bucket. This theory doesn't stand up any better than the supposed buckets did.

The mist begins to clear with the fact that in 16th century England bucket had an additional meaning (and in some parts it still has), i.e. a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. The term may have been introduced into English from the French trébuchet - meaning a balance, or buque - meaning a yoke. That meaning of bucket was referred to in Peter Levins' Manipulus vocabulorum. A dictionarie of English and Latine wordes, 1570:

"A Bucket, beame, tollo."

and was used by Shakespeare in Henry IV Part II, 1597:

"Swifter then he that gibbets on the Brewers Bucket." [to gibbet meant to hang]

The wooden frame that was used to hang animals up by their feet for slaughter was called a bucket. Not unnaturally they were likely to struggle or to spasm after death and hence 'kick the bucket'.