How a brave man and his bucket became a viral metaphor

Up to his knees in water, this guy wasn’t going quietly.


A dad made gallant but fruitless efforts to tackle flooding on his drive (ConstantinosZ/Getty Images)
A dad made gallant but fruitless efforts to tackle flooding on his drive (ConstantinosZ/Getty Images)

Texas has been hit by severe flooding recently, so when one father bravely decided he could tackle the knee-deep problem facing his drive with a humble bucket it was always going to be a futile exploit.

Posted by his daughter, Twitter user @karelyjudith_, here he is tackling the flooding head on.

Naturally, the dad’s gallant but fruitless efforts have since become a metaphor – here are nine of the best examples of how it’s been used.

1. Life

2. Love

3. Relationships

4. Self-therapy

5. Work

6. Housework

7. Education

8. Adulthood

9. Music

Press Association

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