Bucket / Buckets

Hi everyone,

English speaking people are funny (including Brits but especially Australians & New-Zealanders). They like to play with words and make up jokes, puns, etc.

Let's take the example of "bucket".
In the beginning, it simply means "seau" and things of the same shape: godet, piston (English often has specific words for "everything" but not here... they are not interested )

English speaking people like to use "buckets" when there's a big quantity of liquid such as "to rain buckets", "to cry buckets", "to sweat buckets"... the French have a similar use for the rain ("pleuvoir à seaux").
The Brits (not Am I guess) use it as a verb: "to bucket down" when it's raining much.

There's the well-known idiom "to kick the bucket" (Fr "casser sa pipe") which started from the common way they hanged someone (the criminal had to stand on a bucket, then people passed the rope around the neck and by kicking the bucket from under his feet, this caused the criminal to fall down and be hanged - easy and quick).

The very common use is the "bucket list".
Many English speaking people (UK, Oz, NZ, US, etc.) refer to a bucket list to write down what they want to do before they die.
This list is often started early in life (around the age of 25); there're 2 columns: things that have to be done on the left (important things at the top such as "have 3 children", etc. items can be added to the list) and done things on the right (written down when something important is accomplished, left side or not).
People take this seriously (I'd say everyone has a bucket list).
Of course "bucket" in "bucket list" refers to "to kick the bucket".
You might sometimes hear an EMT say "Yes, it's in my bucket list" to express that something is important (or as a joke)... now you'll understand what that means


Nothing to do with the previous meaning or expression but let's mention a common joke for people who learn French: "merci buckets!".
Here they simply anglicize the French adverb "beaucoup" as they think "bucket" sounds like "beaucoup" and is far funnier.

Hi Gérard, everyone !

This list is often started early in life (around the age of 25); there're 2 columns: things that have to be done on the left (with important thngs at the top such as "have 3 children", etc. items can be added to the list) and done things on the right (written down when something important is accomplished).
People take this seriously (I'd say everyone has a bucket list).

For me it's too late for a bucket list. Perhaps should I remember all my dreams when I was 25 and wonder if they have come true !

Nobody is perfect Muriel!
You're French and English people know that a French cannot be perfect. Never too late to start a bucket list: this will help you focus on imprtant things in life.


By the way, I wrote my message, then thinking nobody would read it immediately, I changed a few words and added the last paragraph: would you like to go read the last paragraph there, please?

Of course a French cannot be perfect !

 "merci buckets!".

I have tried to find the expression you already have written on that forum but couldn't. Anyway I didn't know that "buckets" meant "beaucoup" Thanks for writing it again, it's very funny !

Regarding organization, I guess English natives like Todo lists (the French use this but less often I think).

> I have tried to find the expression you already have written on that forum but couldn't.
It was somewhere in "True English".

I read this from my Kiwi niece. I thought it was a joke she had made up but Krystyna told me it was common.
Since then, I read it another time from a friend of my niece.

yes I will try to read again "true English" there are so many useful things.

Bonsoir Muriel et Gérard,

Ne craignez rien !
It is never too late to start a bucket list.

At 25, you tentatively start your list, but as death seems such a long way off, you tend to put your list at the bottom of your socks drawer and forget about it, till maybe 40, then 50.

Then at 60, you realise that death is a possibility, so time to get out your list and hurry up !

For me, in my top ten were ...
1. to visit Lourdes
2. to visit the Vatican and meet the pope

You may not think these are very exciting, but as I'm not the daredevil type, skydiving or fighting sharks don't appeal to me at all.
Just going to Rome was dangerous and challenging enough for me !

Another thing on my bucket list is to drive a car on a french motorway, but Gérard keeps hiding his car keys !!!

Ciao, ciao ...

Bonsoir Krystyna
Thanks for your words. I wish you a visit to Lourdes and to the pope. I remember quite well my last visit to Lourdes when I was in my teens. At that time the group of visitors were german. They were singing "Ave maria" in a funny way and their faith was moving.
In my bucket list I would add=>Thanks to our forum more cafés polyglottes in the world and a better world. Why not ?