Crab bucket 

A crab bucket is what it is: crabs in a bucket. However, what happens in the bucket full of crabs is what makes it a famous saying.

When a single crab is put into a lidless bucket, they surely can and will escape. However, when more than one share a bucket, none can get out. If one crab elevates themself above all, the others will grab this crab and drag'em back down to share the mutual fate of the rest of the group.

Crab bucket syndrome is often used to describe social situations where one person is trying to better themself and others in the community attempt to pull them back down. Also often used in describing the ghettos of America (or anywhere, for that matter).

"Yo, I heard MC Persnickety got a record deal with Koch records!"
"Yeah? I hate that dude...I'ma go tell everyone he plagiarized his lyrics from 50 Cent"
"Shit man, why you gonna go and perpetuate the crab bucket? Playa-hatin' ass nigga."

Crab bucket by Lo S. April 21, 2008

crab bucket 

Any place where people hate being there, but are too scared, or guilted to move on, or organize, or to speak honestly about source of the problem. Where everyone pulls down someone who does something to get out and calls them deserter or quitter because they don't want to be lonely. Most likely a place highly populated with mouthbreathers.

2) shithole, hotel california (you can check out any time you like, but you cant never leave), facebook, small town, abusive relationship, college, Dilbertesque corpo, military

3) Originated from phenomenon of real life behavior of crabs caught in a fishing basket who could technically get out, but the ones near the edges are being pulled down by the ones at the bottom of the basket, hence noone leaves and everyone hates being there

guy1: At first I thought of computers being cool and solving real world problems, but now I'm aware being stuck at this crab bucket with 60h+ work week exhausting job, doing anything to look busy, since any solution to current work will result in extra work being placed on me for the same pay.

guy2: Good thing I heard of small house movement and victory garden, they might be your way out of this shithole.

crab bucket by Spaceship Earth Astronaut March 23, 2013

crab bucket 

When a crab is put into a bucket, it will try to escape. As soon as another crab is placed into the bucket, they will start fighting one another and get so caught up in it that they forget about escaping. Basically, to get caught in the 'crab bucket' is to be working hard on something, then one person gets distracted and starts watching YouTube or something stupid, and then another person starts, and then by the end of it, everyone that was working is now distracted and nothing gets done.

"Hey Dude, come check out this video of a shark eating a dog"
"That's funny, hey Bill, come see this"
"That's the shit, everyone, come check this out!"
"And so, the crab bucket begins."

crab bucket by scumpunch December 6, 2006

Alabama Crab Bucket 

When, in an effort to remove genital lice, one or both parties shave their pubes into a sink, bucket, or other vessel, then light the contents on fire and use bodily fluids to put out the fire.

Bro, last night was nasty. Between the two of us, we had more lice than I've ever seen. We had to pull an Alabama Crab Bucket just to get started.

Alabama Crab Bucket by Curtis Claymore April 15, 2025

Alabama Crab Bucket 

When, in an effort to remove genital lice, one or both parties shave their pubes into a sink, bucket, or other vessel, then light the contents on fire and use bodily fluids to put out the fire.

Bro, she wouldn't get with me last night until I performed an Alabama Crab Bucket. She wanted to see for herself to make sure everything was cool down there.

Alabama Crab Bucket by Curtis Claymore May 20, 2025

crab in a bucket

Something that one will say in reference to society, that only makes sense to .5% of humankind.

Boy in Bong Shirt: So, with all of the lower SES portion of the nation eating that specific type of food and working that particular kind of job... its kind of like a crab in a bucket.
Adjunct Sociology Professor: Umm... YES, yes, it is exactly like a crab in a bucket!

crab in a bucket by sosa4eva November 16, 2010

Crapbuckets 

When bad things appear to happen in large quantities. Usually used as a substitute for an expletive (e.g. shit) as a exclamation of how bad a situation might be.
'Bucket loads' of 'crap' = crapbuckets.

"Crapbuckets, I've got my first exam tomorrow and I've done hardly any revision"

"Crapbuckets, I completely forgot Sharon's birthday"

Crapbuckets by Crapbuckets2000 November 7, 2012