Bucket list

Those who would be expecting to read what constitutes my bucket list might be greatly disappointed by this post. For, this  post is about the 'word' or the 'concept' of bucket list in general.

So, recently, in one of our language classes we were asked to write a few lines about any one of the following topics:
1) my school life
2) nature (beautiful or dangerous)
3) my bucket list

Now, for people who can read, write, and understand English and also know the updates of the English vocabulary, might think this task a cake walk. However, for people who aren't capable enough to use English proficienctly or are not the native speakers of the language or are learning it for the first time, this is the most difficult task. And I think everyone can imagine which word caught all of our attention. Yes, the word was 'bucket list'.

As for me, it was nothing new. I heard about it a lot many times, used it for many times more and was fully acquainted with its usage. But, this wasn't about me. Almost four to five people asked the same question, 'what does bucket list mean? ' Obviously the teacher explained it to them, later on. But I decided to look into it a bit more.

So, here's what I found. When I searched on Google, it said, 'a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.' A pretty good definition, something which we all know about. However, when I searched for its etymology, I came to know about one more phrase which was 'to kick the bucket' and which simply means to die. The phrase itself was coined to describe how while committing suicide, a person kicks the bucket, while he or she has tied their head in a slip noose. It was also linked with the Christian ceremony of sprinkling the Holy Water on a dead body. Well, there are many interpretations. But the basic meaning is to die.

Justin Zackham, the American and British screenwriter, coined the term bucket list for his own list of things he wanted to do before he kicked the bucket.

What I want to draw your attention to is the fact that how the term about life originated from the one about life. A positivist observation but an observation at least.

Please let me know if you have any more interesting observations about this in the comment section.