Actually, Wikipedia includes the hanging explanation along with several others.  One plausible explanation, also provided by Wikipedia, is that related to the Catholic rituals at death.  Another has to do with the practical practice of keeping a bucket handy at the end of a bed for elimination functions.  At death, it was supposedly often kicked.  All these are in the Wikipedia article on "Kick the bucket" that I linked in a previous post.

mcneely

---- Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> From hanging.  Wikipedia agrees.
>
> Stuart
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Don Hanson
> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 5:22 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: More NVC--two great summer reads for travelling the west-Bucket
> List
>
> Where did the term "kick the bucket" come from?  That one puzzles me.
>
> On Fri, Jun 29, 2012 at 5:20 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> >> Behalf Of Scott Daniel - Turbovans
> >> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 5:17 PM
> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> Subject: Re: More NVC--two great summer reads for travelling the west
> >>
> >> where did the term 'bucket list' come from ?
> >>
> >> always sounded weird to me. I have never seen that term  until about
> >> 15 yrs ago, 20 at the most.
> >>
> >
> >   Bucket List is all the things you simply MUST do, at least once, before
> > you "kick the bucket" (die)
> >   Don Hanson
> >
> >
> >

--
David McNeely