People are only just realising where the phrase 'Bucket List' comes from

10 March 2024 , 15:48

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A 'Bucket List' is a list of the experiences that someone hopes to accomplish before they die (stock image) (Image: Getty Images)

People are only just realising where the term "Bucket List" came from, and many are shocked to learn that the phrase isn't even 20 years old.

A "Bucket List" is a list of the experiences that someone hopes to accomplish before they die or "kick the bucket". The phrase is so well known it feels as if it came from an "old wives tale" from hundreds of years ago - but you would be wrong.

The phrase instead came from a 2007 film called "The Bucket List". Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, The Bucket List is a film about two terminally ill men who escape their cancer ward to fulfil their final plans before they die.

The term kick the bucket did originate much earlier with reports that it goes as far back as the 16th century however, there is no recorded wide usage of the phrase "Bucket List" before the film's release. The fact was recently brought to light by one X - formerly Twitter - user who said: "Bucket list was invented in 2007 by the writers of a very forgettable movie".

The post was made in response to another which highlighted that the phrase "Debbie Downer" was coined on the American sketch show Saturday Night Live (SNL). The X user added: "It's one of those real facts that do not seem congruent with the world".

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In response to the post, another X user said: "What do you mean people didn't know what 'Bucket List' is before 2007?? What word did they use back then, 'wishlist'??" Another added: "I remember learning about the entire concept from the movie. I don't believe there was a phrase for the idea of crossing off a list of things before you die."

However, others swear that the phrase had been around before the film's release. One said: "This seems wrong, I distinctly remember the term bubbling around a few years before." Another added: "It definitely was not invented by the writer of the movie but it was made mainstream by the writer of the movie. I'm sure of that."

Another said: "It definitely popularised it. For those of us that remember this movie, the trailer actually had to explain the term with that geezer saying "a list of things to do before you kick the bucket."

The Bucket List was not a box office smash which is likely why people are shocked to find out this fact. However, since the film's release, the phrase "Bucket List" has been used widely with even notable figures like former President Obama using it to describe his future plans.

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Ruby Flanagan