Can you you write your own sentence with each of these funny idioms? "Kick the bucket" means to die. Example: "In the movie, the hero sadly kicked the bucket." The origin is believed to be from farms where a bucket was placed under a cow for milking. If the cow kicked it over, it was often sick or dying. "Close, but no cigar" refers to a near miss. Example: "I nearly won the race, it was close, but no cigar." Originated from fairgrounds where cigars were prizes. If you almost won, you were close, but didn't get a cigar. "Barking up the wrong tree" implies making a false assumption. Example: "Accusing me of forgetting our anniversary, you're barking up the wrong tree." It comes from hunting dogs barking at the base of the wrong tree after losing their prey's trail.