A: I heard that John had a minor heart attack last week.

    B: If he does not take care of himself, he may kick the bucket sooner rather than later.

    Note: 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. In 16th century England bucket had an additional meaning, that is, a beam or yoke used to hang or carry items. 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.”