how did they get the saying "kick the bucket"?

Answer 1

There are two main theories about this one. One suggests that the word doesn’t refer to our modern bucket at all, but to a sixteenth century word that comes from the French buque, meaning a yoke or similar piece of wood. It is said that the word was applied in particular to the beam from which a pig was hung in order to be slaughtered. Inevitably, the pig would struggle during the process, and would kick the buque.

The expression is attested to in particular by a citation in the Oxford English Dictionary: “The beam on which a pig is suspended after he has been slaughtered is called in Norfolk, even in the present day, a ‘bucket’. Since he is suspended by his heels, the phrase to ‘kick the bucket’ came to signify to die” (I can’t give you a date, as the editors just say it comes from a “modern newspaper”, a rather sniffy annotation they used a century ago for sources not considered quite kosher. But it was probably in the 1890s).

The other explanation, much less credible, is that the bucket is the one on which a suicide stands when hanging himself — kick away the bucket and the job is done. there is the story about the sad end of an ostler working at an inn on the Great North Road out of London.

Answer 2

There are many theories as to where this idiom comes from, but the OED discusses following:

A person standing on a pail or bucket with her head in a slip noose would kick the bucket so as to commit suicide. The OED, however, says this is mainly speculative;
The OED describes as more plausible the archaic use of "bucket" as a beam from which a pig is hung by its feet prior to being slaughtered. To kick the bucket, then, originally signified the pig's death throes;
A more credible explanation is given by a Roman Catholic Bishop, The Right Reverend Abbot Horne, F.S.A. He records on page 6 of his booklet "Relics of Popery" Catholic Truth Society London, 1949, the following:

"After death, when a body had been laid out, … and … the holy-water bucket was brought from the church and put at the feet of the corpse. When friend came to pray… they would sprinkle the body with holy water .. it is easy to see how such a saying as " kicking the bucket " came about. Many other explanations of this saying have been given by persons who are unacquainted with Catholic custom"

Answer 3

When the cow kicked the milk bucket all the milk was spilled out and gone. Could not get it back.

Answer 4

maybe it's a morbid fascination with jack and jill going up the hill and some tragedy involving a pale of water being forced into a certain person's skull from another certain person.
the one still alive is awaiting a long court trial, and could face many years in prison if convicted.

Answer 5

i guess when someone died someone was trying to brighten the day by joking and jus said it i dont know im not sure