[Ads-l] bucket list (wish list)

[Ben Zimmer]

I noted the semantic shift in my Wall Street Journal column on "bucket
list" in May 2015. An excerpt:

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-origins-of-bucket-list-1432909572
At the White House Correspondents Dinner last month, President Barack Obama
had some fun with a familiar two-word phrase: "bucket list."
"After the midterm elections, my advisers asked me, 'Mr. President, do you
have a bucket list?'" Mr. Obama said. "And I said, well, I have something
that rhymes with 'bucket list'...."
The president's devil-may-care attitude about the end of his second term
was good for a laugh, and it also pointed to how the meaning of "bucket
list" has subtly shifted since it was popularized by the movie "The Bucket
List" in 2007.
The "bucket list" originally meant a list of things that one would like to
do before dying -- that is, before "kicking the bucket." In the film,
Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson play terminal cancer patients living it
up while they still can.
But now, a "bucket list" doesn't have to be so morbid. It can simply be a
wish list to be accomplished by a certain deadline -- like the end of Mr.
Obama's term of office. Similarly, you can find many suggestions online for
your "summer bucket list": things to do before autumn comes.
----

On Wed, Jun 19, 2019 at 11:39 PM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Today, I received a summer activity guide that includes creating a summer
> bucket list of things you have always wanted to do but lack the time to do.
>
> The OED, Wiktionary and Merriam-Webster have the definition of things you
> want to do before you die for “bucket list". Wikipedia has a disambiguation
> page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucket_list <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucket_list>) where “bucket list” is a
> synonym for “wish list.”
>
> 1. This first citation could go either way, and is perhaps a good example
> of why the (inevitable) semantic change to “wish list” happened.
> https://thewaywardwalrus.com/island-dreaming-top-20-hawaii-bucket-list/ <
> https://thewaywardwalrus.com/island-dreaming-top-20-hawaii-bucket-list/>
> Island Dreaming: Top 20 Hawaii Bucket List
>
> ****
> Below are my top 20 bucket list picks for the perfect aloha getaway.
>
> ####
> ####
>
> 2. This one can also be seen either way.
>
> https://www.thewaywardwayblog.com/alaska-bucket-list-75-non-touristy-things-to-do-in-alaska/
> <
> https://www.thewaywardwayblog.com/alaska-bucket-list-75-non-touristy-things-to-do-in-alaska/
> >
> Alaska Bucket List: 75 Non-Touristy Things to Do in Alaska
>
> ****
> We have compiled an Alaska bucket list of non-touristy things to do in
> hopes of helping YOU have the same authentic experience in The Last
> Frontier.
>
> ####
> ####
>
> 3. “Fun ideas” are what seem clearly what go on a wish list.
>  https://bucketlistjourney.net/summer-bucket-list-ideas/ <
> https://bucketlistjourney.net/summer-bucket-list-ideas/>
> Summer Bucket List Activities: 80 Fun Things to Do this Sunny Season
>
> ****
> Besides sunbathing, walking around in those cute sun dresses and letting
> the sand run through your toes (if you are lucky enough to be at the
> beach), there are several other fun ideas to add to your summer bucket list.
>
> ####
> ####
>
> 4. “Favorite summer activities” are again wish-listy.
> http://theeverygirl.com/summer-bucket-list-2019/ <
> http://theeverygirl.com/summer-bucket-list-2019/>
> The Everygirl’s 2019 Summer Bucket List
>
> ****
> We’ve rounded up all of our favorite summer activities for our 2019 bucket
> list to make sure you’re getting the best of the best of what the season
> has to offer.
>
> ####
> ####
>
> 5. https://activeforlife.com/winter-bucket-list-just-for-you/ <
> https://activeforlife.com/winter-bucket-list-just-for-you/>
> We made a winter bucket list so all you have to do is make a plan to have
> some winter fun
>
> ****
> And so, just as we’ve created our summer lists for many years, this fall
> we worked together to create a brand new winter bucket list. Things to do
> when we’re bored. Things to do when we’re craving adventure. Things to do
> when we’re cold. But most importantly, things to do.
>
> ####
> ####
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>
>

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