what does being a basket case mean

An individual too impaired to function. 1 dated, informal + offensive : a person who has all four limbs amputated. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Definition of basket case. Its common knowledge that Armstrong was suffering from anxiety and panic disorders at the time when he wrote this song: "The only way I knew how to deal with it was to write a song about it". Meaning of basket case. This term dates from World War I, when it denoted a soldier who had lost both arms and legs and had to be carried off the field in a basket or litter. "I think the Guardian should avoid the term 'basket case'," says a reader. 28 Dec 2016. For example. Definition: So upset or stunned that one is unable to function; in a hopeless condition. hoffnungsloser Fall { noun masculine } in a bad condition. A few years ago, the country was an economic basket case, but now things are different. A person or thing too impaired to function. Originally this referred to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried by others. Surgeon General: "The Surgeon General of the Army ... denies ... that there is any foundation for the stories that have been circulated ... of the existence of 'basket cases' in our hospitals.". Enrich your … What does the idiom “Basket Case” mean? A person or thing too impaired to function. 2 : a person who is mentally incapacitated or worn out (as from nervous tension) also : one that is not … Some characteristics of a basketcase included emotional instability, weirdness, and constant isolation from mainstream society. Sometimes percieved as an insult, usually a stereotype or label. Mary comes to work in tears every day — I tell you, she's turning into a basket case. An Definition of basket case someone who can't function well due to anxiety/stress or something similar . Basket Case song meaning This song is a vivid description of emotional instability. Instead, it referred to someone who had a physical disability. (slang, potentially offensive) One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic, stress or exhaustion. Her classmates looked at her like she was a complete basket case. Sarah was so nervous on her first day of high school that she burst into tears after walking into the wrong classroom. This bulletin was reported on in many U.S. newspapers at the time. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+basket+case. A country, business, or other entity that is facing economic strife. Copy to clipboard ; Details / edit; enwiki-01-2017-defs. It isn't recorded what term the U.S. Basket Case (film) Basket Case (film) basket case . Definitions include: any easy or useless college course or field of study. For example, The stress of moving twice in one year left her a basket case, or The republics of the former Soviet Union are economic basket cases. Watch this program to discover the meaning of this phrase in American English. Again, it comes from the U.S. military and again in the form of a denial from the Surgeon General. INFORMAL The country is an economic basket case with chronic unemployment and rampant crime. My weeks of worry were so intense that I was a real basket case afterwards. (It's also hyperbolic and worn out, but that's another matter.) Strangely, it was never used to describe an actual person but only in denial of any such servicemen existing. [informal] The country is an economic basket case with chronic unemployment and rampant crime. basket case Bedeutung, Definition basket case: 1. someone who is extremely nervous or anxious and is therefore unable to organize their life: 2…. Basket case definition: If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case , they mean that its... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples An in-basket exercise is a hiring assessment tool used by companies to gauge how well applicants perform job-related tasks within a certain period of time. Clearly, given the scale of the casualties in both wars, there must have been cases of multiple amputation. Someone who is viewed as emotionally unstable and unable to function in normal situations. Information and translations of basket case in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Surgeon General used to describe these - clearly not 'basket case'. In civilian usage the term was applied to an emotionally unstable person who is unable to cope. “The U.N. may become a more pathetic basket case than the old League of Nations after the Japanese nullified the decision on Manchuria.” In the early 1950s, the phrase came to mean “a person who is emotionally or mentally unable to cope, esp. Of American-English origin, this term initially denoted a soldier who had lost all four limbs during the First World War —as stated in the following from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) of … Well for one pot is the cause of most cases of skitzophrenia (can't spell it) and so yes it could have very well have been the cause of billies fits .. "By 'basket case' is meant a soldier who has lost both arms and legs and therefore must be carried in a basket. 1. Type: noun; Copy to clipboard; Details / edit; enwiki-01-2017-defs. For example, The stress of moving twice in one year left her a basket case, or The republics of the former Soviet Union are economic basket cases. An infirm or failing person or thing - unable to function properly. basket case synonyms, basket case pronunciation, basket case translation, English dictionary definition of basket case. What does it mean when somebody calls you a basket case? Definitions include: to risk everything on a single unlikely event. A person or thing too impaired to function. Sie ist ein hoffnungsloser Fall. If the unemployment rate doesn't decrease soon, the country is going to become a financial basket case. Definition: So upset or stunned that one is unable to function; … basket case definition in English dictionary, basket case meaning, synonyms, see also 'basket chair',basket clause',basket hilt',Basket Maker'. ‘How did the interview go?’ ‘Terrible! SMART … put all of (one's) eggs in one basket. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Basket case'? More recently it has been used to denounce a failing organisation or scheme and … Define basket case. Synonym: emotional cripple She was a complete basket case the morning of her wedding. A basketcase is often independent and isolationist, in other words, anti-social. Many of them also defined what was meant by 'basket case'; for example, this from the New York paper The Syracuse Herald, March 1919: "By 'basket case' is meant a soldier who has lost both arms and legs and therefore must be carried in a basket. a person or a thing that is not able to function properly ... 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. What does the idiom “Basket Case” mean? I’m sure they thought I was a complete basket case.’. The popular image about this region a few years ago was that it was a basket case. In the seventies, the Post Office was regarded as a basket case, doomed to decline by the competition from phone, fax and modem. Basket Case – Der unheimliche Zwilling. A basketcase is common word used to describe a social outcast in school. An in-basket test or an in-basket exercise is a test used by companies or governments in hiring and promoting employees. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, steel (someone or oneself) against (someone or something), the webmaster's page for free fun content, A Basic Citizen's Definitive Electronic Freedom Guide, A Battle Concerning Delightfully Exciting Fine Gems. After that meeting, I was practically a basket case. -a country or organization that is in severe financial or economic difficulties, especially one that is unable to pay its debts." During the test, job applicants receive a number of mails, telephone calls, documents and memos.They then have a limited period of time to set priorities, organize their working schedule accordingly and respond to mail and phone calls. Definition of basket case in the Definitions.net dictionary. This bulletin was issued by the U.S. Command on Public Information in March 1919, on behalf of Major General M. W. Ireland, the U.S. someone who is extremely nervous or anxious and is therefore unable to organize their life: By the end of the course I was a complete basket case. "It is a shocking, distressing and distracting image. The term basket case denotes someone, or something, that is incapable of functioning normally. ket case noun-informal -a person or thing regarded as useless or unable to cope. If you describe someone as a basket case, you think that they are insane . If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case, they mean that its economy or finances are in a seriously bad state. basket case Meaning. basket case. … Originally In May 1944, in Yank, the Army Weekly, the then Surgeon General, Major General Norman T. Kirk, said: "... there is nothing to rumors of so-called 'basket cases' - cases of men with both legs and both arms amputated.". 2. countable noun. It originated as being applied to people, soldiers in particular, who had lost limbs and could not function by themselves and had to be carried. Sign in; Sign up; Question Dude. underwater basket weaving. The expression evolved from a US slang term for a soldier who had lost all four limbs in action, and was thus unable to move independently. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Definition of basket case someone who can't function well due to anxiety/stress or something similar. A basket case (slang term) is one who's nerves are shot, their mental capacity to think and reason is diminished, they are not organized, always needing help, etc. 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. Today it is used still more loosely to describe an attack of nerves, as in “The mother of the bride was a basket case.”, In the article, we quoted Marvin as saying he purchased his rare 1911 Heider Model A as ", How you prepare a disabled M109A6 Paladin for towing may determine whether or not you're. Basket case The Oxford English Dictionary says the colloquial term “basket case” originated in the United States shortly after World War I, and meant “a person, esp. because of overwhelming stress or anxiety,” the OED says. She's a basket case. What does basket case mean? In its original meaning this term comes from the US military immediately following WWI. Arabic English (US) Near fluent Danish Dutch French (France) Question about English (US) What does basket case mean? More recently it has been used to denounce a failing organisation or scheme and is less often applied to people. Originating in World War I for a soldier who had lost all four limbs in combat and consequently had to be carried in a litter ("basket"), this term was then transferred to an emotionally or mentally unstable person and later to … basket case (basket cases plural ) 1 n-count If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case, they mean that its economy or finances are in a seriously bad state. After that all-day meeting, I was practically a basket case. The name “in-basket exercise” is a nod to a bygone era when employees used to have physical in-baskets on their desks where others would place assignments to be completed. this referred to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried by others. basket case noun [C] (PERSON) informal. a container made of interwoven strips of pliable materials, such as cane, straw, thin wood, or plastic, and often carried by means of a handle or handles Also called: basketful the amount a basket will hold … 2. For example: “After Elena’s boyfriend broke up with her, she was a basket case. Given that the term was originally reserved for incapacitated servicemen, there wasn't much call for it until the next major war of English-speaking peoples - WWII. infirm or failing person or thing - unable to function properly. A vivid description of emotional instability years ago was that it was a basket case, now. 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