In the mid-1940s, "basket case" is used to refer to an ineffective or powerless person. a person who has had all four limbs amputated. If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as: OED and others cite the first usage of pipsqueak (alt. Definition: A thing or person considered useless or not able to cope. Example: The Greek economy took a nosedive after the 2008 world financial meltdown - to the point of becoming a total economic basket case. Idioms occur frequently in all languages; in English alone … A Basket Case is an idiom, meaning a state of powerlessness, crippled emotionally. But I don’t remember the title or author. Basket case. Speculation does point to the use of 'bug' as something irritating as is the nature of insects. couldn’t care less. One that is in a completely hopeless or useless condition. Where did it originate? Example: She was a complete basket case the morning of her wedding. [Originally World War I military slang, soldier who has lost all four limbs .] a bawling out. 2 a person who is slightly crazy and who has problems dealing with situations: ‘How did the interview go?’ ‘Terrible! noun Slang. A duplicate. In that setting there were casualty patients who had lost, or lost control of limbs to the point that they were literally placed in wicker baskets and hung in them, rather than in cots. Idiom: Definition: Usage: a basket case : a bitter pill to swallow : about time: more than long enough: It's about time that you returned that book to me. B 1 Thought. Where Did the Phrase “Take a Gander” Come From? Find out the meanings of idioms and common sayings such as Nest Egg or New York Minute, and much more. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiom's figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning. Basket definition, a container made of twigs, rushes, thin strips of wood, or other flexible material woven together. You should accept this job offer since this is your first job and that organization is a real basket case. Offensive. An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. bug someone ❯❮ as calm as a toad in the sun, die hard Meaning: disappear or change very slowly, take a long time to cease to exist or be dropped from consideration. The WW I usage of ‘basket case’ is described, mostly without the term per se, in an excellent novel about WWI that includes action in a hospital detachment. I read this book, one of the best about the war that I know of, decades ago. "Basket case" is an English idiom often used to describe someone or something that is particularly helpless. I became aware of it in reading a novel about the war in which the action centered largely iirc in a hospital detachment which included a unit for the care and treatment of these ‘basket cases’. Originally this referred to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried by others. Explore more Idiom Meanings. But just what was the Surgeon General referring to when he said “basket case”? See more. How to use basket case in a sentence. He hasn't caught a mouse since he was a slip of a kitten. Although it was originally associated with a physical connotation, the phrase has expanded in use to define anyone who is in a precarious mental state. A basketcase is often independent and isolationist, in other words, anti-social. Someone who is a basket case may often feel hopeless about life. The following is a passage from an article on the origin of the idiom basket case:. Subscribe to our new updates in your email. Epic Rap Battles of History - Batman vs Sherlock Holmes. What a basket case." a bee in her bonnet: upset, a … Idiom. What Happens in the Real World if You Find a Buried Treasure? basket case (Idiom, English) a person or thing regarded as useless or unable to cope; a country or organization that is in severe financial or economic distress, … The phrase go to hell in a handbasket is an American phrase which came into general use during the American Civil War, though its popularity has spread into other countries. Today I found out how the phrase “basket case” came to mean “someone who is insane.”. I grew up understanding a “basket case” was someone in an institution for the mentally ill who was taught and practiced basket-weaving for therapeutic reasons. So let’s take a look at the most popular idioms and common idioms in the English language and what they mean. The supposed origin came about during World War I and was used to describe servicemen that had all of their limbs either surgically or explodingly removed--leaving them as nothing more then torsos that would have to be carried in a basket. Basket of Goods Deconstructed . Yes, like in that Metallica video. The term “basket case” isn’t used anymore in that original sense; it refers now to an emotionally disturbed person or an ineffective organization, nation, business, and so on. basket-case idioms. What does basket case mean? Dictionary ! Later this phrase lost some of its dark aura to mean something or someone who is unable to carry their own weight and is failing. Idiom Meaning: a useless person who cannot cope . They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Define basket case. Example. As you can imagine, the original meaning of “basket case” was never incredibly common. It wasn’t until World War II that the phrase prominently resurfaced. Basket Case Lyrics: Do you have the time / To listen to me whine / About nothing and everything all at once? It was an unpopular phrase which was used for men with no arms or legs and was used again after World War Two. However, for a while the phrase expanded to mean someone with a physical disability who was unable to get around by themselves easily. Your email address will not be published. “Fleabag,” as in “a fleabag hotel,” refers to grimy and unsuitable sleeping arrangements. I… I… I invented the would nervous. … If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case, they mean that its economy or finances are in a seriously bad state. See more. One of the most popular French words that was commonly used by English speakers after World War I was “souvenir,” which quickly overtook “memento” in popularity. English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. The phrase was published in 1919 by the US Command for public information which denied that they have such service men or ‘basket cases’. When a certain phrase takes on a new cultural meaning through popular usage, it is known as an idiom. Figurative phrases or popular expressions that children and English Language Learners (ELL) come across can be confusing because their meaning is different from each of their individual words. The Oxford English Dictionary says the colloquial term “basket case” originated in the United States shortly after World War I, and meant “a … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The British and American soldiers also adapted French and German words into their everyday language, which then left the trenches via letters (and in person by those soldiers who survived). Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. a bawling out: a scolding, a lecture, an earful, catch it: When I forgot to do my chores Dad gave me a bawling out. basket case Meaning. To go to hell in a handbasket means to go to one’s doom, to deteriorate quickly, to proceed on a course to disaster. Learn more. A basketcase is common word used to describe a social outcast in school. Origin Meaning of Idiom 'Basket Case' A basket case is a person who is so nervous or anxious they are completely incapacitated and so are considered nonfunctioning; Learn the full meaning of the English idiom 'basket case' and get examples of use in sentences as well as the origin of this expression. Example Sentences. pip-squeak) to 1910, and most sources agree that it is onomatopoeic, that is a word that is formed from a sound associated with what is named. For example, a baby bird might make noises that sound like a “pip” and “squeak” (squeak itself being an onomatopoeic). Origin: The phrase initially referred to soldiers who lost their limbs, and possibly originated in 1919, when rumors circulated that limbs of decapitated soldiers arrived in baskets at a hospital. For example: “After Elena’s boyfriend broke up with her, she was a basket case. Some countries are breadbaskets, others basket cases. 2Lts in most Commonwealth armies have a single Star of Bath (also called a ‘pip’ in military jargon) on their rank insignia. Funny enough, one of the earliest known documented instances of the phrase was actually in denial that “basket cases” actually existed, as found in a bulletin issued in March of 1919 on behalf of the United States … a basket case. How a Small Event That Nobody Really Cared About Led to WWI. Baker (1992,pp.26-43) states that the main strategies in translating idioms are: 1) using an idiom of similar meaning and form to the source language idiom, ( It must convey roughly the same meaning and be of equivalent lexical items); 2) using an idiom of similar meaning but different form (In this case the lexical items of an idiom are not TRANSLATING IDIOMS IN … 40 Commonly Used and Popular English Idioms. Examples of this Idiom in Movies & TV Shows: MacGyver “Deadly Silents” (1991) MacGyver: Pinky! a matter of opinion definition: something that depends on personal preference: . a scolding, a lecture, an earful, catch it. English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. That Time the French Intentionally Bombed a Civilian Ship, What Those Nasty White Chunks That Sometimes Come From Your Throat Are, The Difference Between a Fact and a Factoid, Marilyn Monroe was Not Even Close to a Size 12-16, A Japanese Soldier Who Continued Fighting WWII 29 Years After the Japanese Surrendered, Because He Didn’t Know. Here's an example of this idiom in a sentence:... See full answer below. This preview shows page 2 - 4 out of 4 pages.. English idioms A basket case A crazy person A bull in a china shop someone who is very clumsy A grey area Something unclear A little birdie told me Someone told me a secret A piece of cake Very easy A rip of Too expensive Be in hot water Be in trouble Be in the same boat A basket case A crazy It appears to be a modern day phrase. The meaning of this idiom is (idiomatic) A country in a difficult economic or financial situation.. "Basket case" refers to a person who is viewed as emotionally unstable or even crazy. The next day, she expressed … 1 a country or an organization whose economic situation is very bad: A few years ago, the country was an economic basket case, but now things are different. The lower ranks simply had to make do. The band Green Day has a song called “Basket Case” which was written by vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong. D ☞ Dark Horse: One who was previously unknown and is now prominent. I had been flying for over 30 hours, and two of the planes were delayed. One that caught our eye is "basket case." You're shamed and traumatized and haunted by the vast disgrace OriginAfter the First World War, the United States military had many casualties. They also gave us “ersatz,” which originally referred to substitute foods and materials. basket case (Idiom, English) — 1 translation (Greek.) Here's an example of this idiom in a sentence:... See full answer below. A Basket Case is an idiom, meaning a state of powerlessness, crippled emotionally. In that case, the song is aptly named after the modern meaning of the phrase. a bed of roses: an easy life, a pleasant place to work or stay Who said that retirement is a bed of roses? I’m sure they thought I was a complete basket case.’ a person or a thing that is not able to function properly; a failing scheme. This country is a financial basket case, a country so broke that it should be a perfect warning to lenders. Basket Case Meaning (idiomatic) A country in a difficult economic or financial situation. To go “over the top” once meant to jump out of the trenches and toward the enemy. Basket case definition is - a person who has all four limbs amputated. Today I found out how the phrase “basket case” came to mean “someone who is insane.” At first, “basket case” didn’t mean someone who was crazy. There are times when the words spoken or written by someone take on a meaning that is somewhat exaggerated or only thinly associated with their literal definitions. 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