pbjsCfg = { bidders: '*', When I told my parents, they didn't believe me. { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_leftslot' }}]}, { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_btmslot' }}]}, name: "idl_env", "Basket case" is an extremely common and particularly resonant idiom. { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_btmslot' }}, googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(false); initAdSlotRefresher(); Sometimes percieved as an insult, usually a stereotype or label. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_dc", "english"); In civilian usage the term was applied to an emotionally unstable person who is … The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. {code: 'ad_rightslot', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_rightslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_rightslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250]] } }, name: "pubCommonId", { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11653860' }}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195467', size: [320, 50] }}, iasLog("criterion : cdo_cc = sensitive"); var googletag = googletag || {}; iasLog("exclusion label : gpw"); “After Elena’s boyfriend broke up with her, she was a basket case. {code: 'ad_btmslot_a', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_btmslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_btmslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250]] } }, {code: 'ad_rightslot', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_rightslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_rightslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250]] } }, iasLog("criterion : cdo_ptl = entry-lcp"); Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. 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. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11654208' }}, Instead, it referred to someone who had a physical disability. bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776156', position: 'atf' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971065', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, She once screamed at a guy for drinking coffee at his desk, but that afternoon, she sat hers down right next to his computer while talking to him. The first citation of "basket case" in the Oxford English Dictionary is in 1919, soon after the end of World War I. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_pc", "dictionary"); dfpSlots['houseslot_b'] = googletag.defineSlot('/2863368/houseslot', [], 'ad_houseslot_b').defineSizeMapping(mapping_houseslot_b).setTargeting('sri', '0').setTargeting('vp', 'btm').setTargeting('hp', 'center').setCategoryExclusion('house').addService(googletag.pubads()); { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_rightslot' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971066', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, 'min': 8.50, 'cap': true { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '446382' }}, userSync: { In addition, the phrase can be applied to organizations or groups that have been rendered helpless or powerless by circumstances. "sign-in": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/auth/signin?rid=READER_ID", Using it in this way can allow descriptions of people or businesses or even whole countries. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_tc", "resp"); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '446381' }}, bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776130', position: 'btf' }}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195451', size: [300, 250] }}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195451', size: [300, 50] }}, Where did it originate? name: "_pubcid", One that is in a completely hopeless or useless condition: a man who became a basket case after his divorce; a country that is an economic basket case. ga('send', 'pageview'); Add basket case to one of your lists below, or create a new one. { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '346698' }}, The term basket case denotes someone, or something, that is incapable of functioning normally.. 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 Saturday 18 th January 1919:. } You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics: the use of electronic devices such as smart phones, laptop computers, and tablets as teaching devices, Bubbles and a breakthrough: the language of COVID (update), Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Basket case'? {code: 'ad_leftslot', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_leftslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_leftslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[120, 600], [160, 600], [300, 600]] } }, bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776130', position: 'btf' }}, iasLog("criterion : cdo_t = doing-and-achieving"); One that caught our eye is "basket case." { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_HDX' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971079', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, An individual too impaired to function. basket case. { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195451', size: [320, 50] }}, { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '387232' }}, 'cap': true { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '705055' }}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195467', size: [300, 250] }}, a person who is helpless or incapable of functioning normally, especially due to overwhelming stress, anxiety, or the like. Were you always this nervous in the old days? iasLog("criterion : cdo_pc = dictionary"); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { if (!event.isEmpty && event.slot.renderCallback) { event.slot.renderCallback(event); } }); bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776156', position: 'atf' }}, { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '446382' }}, { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_topslot' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '541042770', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, Idiom: Meaning: Example: a basket case: a person who is very nervous, in bad shape If Gloria has one more crisis, she'll be a basket case. }, { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '19042093' }}, { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_rightslot' }}]}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '555365', size: [120, 600] }}, }; { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '346693' }}, pid: '94' 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. noun Slang. More recently it has been used to denounce a failing organisation or scheme and is less often applied to people. var mapping_leftslot = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1063, 0], [[120, 600], [160, 600], [300, 600]]).addSize([963, 0], [[120, 600], [160, 600]]).addSize([0, 0], []).build(); var pbTabletSlots = [ An individual too impaired to function. 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. Starting in the 1950s, a "basket case" could be a vehicle that has missing parts or is in disrepair. { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_btmslot' }}]}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971081', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971080', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_topslot' }}]}, A lot of people say American … We put them in the break room in a giant bin that we have nicknamed “the basket case.”. { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_MidArticle' }}, She never experienced a nervous breakdown, but her personality would change from moment to moment, and she really did seem to be crazy. Definition of basket case. With the passage of time, the phrase "basket case" has begun to be used more in association with someone suffering some mental debilitation. { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_MidArticle' }}, // FIXME: (temporary) - send ad requests only if PlusPopup is not shown { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_leftslot' }}, { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_SR' }}, basket case. bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776140', position: 'atf' }}, const customGranularity = { { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_rightslot2' }}]}]; When a certain phrase takes on a new cultural meaning through popular usage, it is known as an idiom. Basket Case idiom Archive. I mean, I was what they called a… a basket case. She would act totally normal until my parents left. var pbDesktopSlots = [ 'max': 30, googletag.enableServices(); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '387232' }}, googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_t", "doing-and-achieving"); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '387232' }}, iasLog("criterion : cdo_pt = entry"); window.ga=window.ga||function(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)};ga.l=+new Date; You can still find recent instances of this use. dfpSlots['topslot_a'] = googletag.defineSlot('/23202586/cdo_topslot', [], 'ad_topslot_a').defineSizeMapping(mapping_topslot_a).setTargeting('sri', '0').setTargeting('vp', 'top').setTargeting('hp', 'center').addService(googletag.pubads()); 'cap': true "authorization": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/auth/info?rid=READER_ID&url=CANONICAL_URL&ref=DOCUMENT_REFERRER&type=ENTRY_TRANSLATE&v1=english&v2=basket-case&v3=&v4=english&_=RANDOM", bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776140', position: 'atf' }}, { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195466', size: [728, 90] }}, { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_topslot' }}, iasLog("criterion : cdo_l = en-us"); ga('set', 'dimension3', "default"); 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 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. }); 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. {code: 'ad_leftslot', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_leftslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_leftslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[120, 600], [160, 600]] } }, params: { "sign-up": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/auth/signup?rid=READER_ID", In civilian usage the term was applied to an emotionally unstable person who is … googletag.pubads().set("page_url", "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/basket-case"); { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195467', size: [320, 100] }}, Idioms with opposite meaning to Benefits. { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195464', size: [160, 600] }}, googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_ei", "basket-case"); 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. 'buckets': [{ What does basket case mean? var mapping_topslot_a = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([746, 0], []).addSize([0, 550], [[300, 250]]).addSize([0, 0], [[300, 50], [320, 50], [320, 100]]).build(); I've usually seen this idiom written as the single word “basketcase,” but I suppose that both forms are used. iasLog("exclusion label : resp"); bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162050', zoneId: '776358', position: 'atf' }}, {code: 'ad_btmslot_a', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_btmslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_btmslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250]] } }, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971079', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, type: "cookie", { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_btmslot' }}, { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '346688' }}, bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '1666926', position: 'btf' }}, A Basket Case is an idiom, meaning a state of powerlessness, crippled emotionally. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_l", "en-us"); It appears to be a modern day phrase. The dictionary’s first citation for the phrase used in its ineffective … You should accept this job offer since this is your first job and that organization is a real basket case. {code: 'ad_btmslot_a', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_btmslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_btmslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250], [320, 50], [300, 50]] } }, Epic Rap Battles of History - Batman vs Sherlock Holmes. 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, … basket case (n.) 1919, American English, originally a reference to rumors of quadriplegics as a result of catastrophic wounds suffered in World War I (the U.S. military authorities vehemently denied there were any such in its hospitals), from basket (n.) + case (n.2). { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_rightslot2' }}, Definition: So upset or stunned that one is unable to function; … Recent Idioms. The implication here is that the political party in question is struggling mightily and is helpless to remedy the situation. a bawling out: a scolding, a lecture, an earful, catch it When I forgot to do my chores Dad gave me a bawling out. },{ googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_pt", "entry"); { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '555365', size: [160, 600] }}, Idioms 5 Directions: Read each idiom and determine the meaning. Etymology The term originated in America after the First World War, indicating a soldier missing both his arms and legs, who needed to be literally carried around in a litter or “basket” though there are no records of any soldiers being carried in baskets. { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195451', size: [320, 50] }}, 'max': 3, iasLog("exclusion label : lcp"); { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '555365', size: [120, 600] }}, bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162050', zoneId: '776336', position: 'btf' }}, { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_Billboard' }}, The literary origin of the phrase is no available. { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195466', size: [728, 90] }}, ga('set', 'dimension2', "entry"); enableSendAllBids: false But she’s finally getting back to normal.”. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11654174' }}, Offensive. 3. They just thought I wanted an excuse to stay by myself, so I had to endure this torture until I was actually old enough to stay alone while they went out. If someone else doesn't help you out, you could actually starve or thirst to death. }, B 1 Thought. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '19042093' }}, "loggedIn": false var pbMobileHrSlots = [ { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '195465', size: [300, 250] }}, Meaning: A person or thing that is no longer able to function effectively, either through disability or misfortune. bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '776156', position: 'atf' }}, bids: [{ bidder: 'rubicon', params: { accountId: '17282', siteId: '162036', zoneId: '1666926', position: 'btf' }}, googletag.pubads().setTargeting("cdo_ptl", "entry-lcp"); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '387233' }}, var pbAdUnits = getPrebidSlots(curResolution); {code: 'ad_topslot_b', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_topslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_topslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[728, 90]] } }, googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); "Basket case" is an English idiom often used to describe someone or something that is particularly helpless. So upset or stunned that one is unable to function; in a hopeless condition. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11654149' }}, }; 'max': 36, storage: { { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_topslot' }}]}, var mapping_houseslot_b = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([963, 0], []).addSize([0, 0], [300, 250]).build(); googletag.pubads().setTargeting("sfr", "cdo_dict_english"); if(!isPlusPopupShown()) 'cap': true { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11653860' }}, {code: 'ad_btmslot_a', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_btmslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_btmslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250], [320, 50], [300, 50]] } }, dfpSlots['rightslot2'] = googletag.defineSlot('/23202586/cdo_rightslot2', [[300, 250], [120, 600], [160, 600]], 'ad_rightslot2').defineSizeMapping(mapping_rightslot2).setTargeting('sri', '0').setTargeting('vp', 'mid').setTargeting('hp', 'right').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.cmd.push(function() { { bidder: 'ix', params: { siteId: '555365', size: [300, 250] }}, }); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '705055' }}, { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_SR' }}, {code: 'ad_rightslot', pubstack: { adUnitName: 'cdo_rightslot', adUnitPath: '/23202586/cdo_rightslot' }, mediaTypes: { banner: { sizes: [[300, 250]] } }, The following is a passage from an article on the origin of the idiom basket case:. iasLog("criterion : cdo_dc = english"); iasLog("exclusion label : wprod"); Idiom: A common expression understood figuratively, as the literal definition makes no sense. The boss eventually fired her because she scared some clients. Losing all your limbs has got to be the most helpless feeling in the world. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '19042093' }}, } priceGranularity: customGranularity, { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_topslot' }}]}, "login": { View this answer. } { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11653860' }}, partner: "uarus31" The origin of the phrase "basket case" dates back to World War I, when it was used to describe soldiers who had both their arms and legs amputated due to battle injuries. "Basket case" is an English idiom often used to describe someone or something that is particularly helpless. { bidder: 'triplelift', params: { inventoryCode: 'Cambridge_Billboard' }}, { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '446381' }}, { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_btmslot' }}, Knowing that he is such a basket case, how could she accept to marry him? { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '387233' }}, dfpSlots['btmslot_a'] = googletag.defineSlot('/23202586/cdo_btmslot', [[300, 250], 'fluid'], 'ad_btmslot_a').defineSizeMapping(mapping_btmslot_a).setTargeting('sri', '0').setTargeting('vp', 'btm').setTargeting('hp', 'center').addService(googletag.pubads()); name: "unifiedId", var dfpSlots = {}; iasLog("criterion : cdo_c = " + ["business_financial_industrial_technology", "beauty_health_fitness", "jobs_education_resumes"]); At first, it was nothing more than incessant tickling, but then, it progressed to poking me with needles and shoving me down the steps. { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '346698' }}, { bidder: 'openx', params: { unit: '539971063', delDomain: 'idm-d.openx.net' }}, { bidder: 'pubmatic', params: { publisherId: '158679', adSlot: 'cdo_btmslot' }}]}, What Does It Mean to Have a "Bee in Your Bonnet"? pbjs.que.push(function() { { bidder: 'criteo', params: { networkId: 7100, publisherSubId: 'cdo_rightslot2' }}, I wonder if wheelchairs had even been invented back when this phrase was coined? dfpSlots['rightslot'] = googletag.defineSlot('/23202586/cdo_rightslot', [[300, 250]], 'ad_rightslot').defineSizeMapping(mapping_rightslot).setTargeting('sri', '0').setTargeting('vp', 'mid').setTargeting('hp', 'right').addService(googletag.pubads()); { bidder: 'sovrn', params: { tagid: '705055' }}, Then, she would start torturing me. You never knew whether she would greet you with a smile and commend you on your good work or bite your head off for making a simple error. [Originally World War I military slang, soldier who has lost all four limbs .] a person or a thing that is not able to function properly; a failing scheme. { bidder: 'appnexus', params: { placementId: '11654156' }}, We have nicknamed “ the basket case. ” can also be used describe! Tc-Bd bw hbr-20 hbss lpt-25 ': 'hdn ' '' > like this a useless person who helpless... Knowing that he is such a basket case '' is an extremely and! Social outcast in school that have been rendered helpless or powerless by circumstances Lungs '' full answer.! 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Today and ensure you are never again lost for words when she discovered her ex was the... Both their arms and legs in battle insult, usually a stereotype or label a hopeless condition, but... Bit odd that anyone would be carried by others the like on it with markers in my spare time make! As emotionally unstable person who is extremely nervous basket case. ” totally normal until my parents, they did believe. And she was a basket case ” would make more sense carried others. Creative Ways to Save Money that actually work, 2015 • no Comments • does. Phrase, it is known as an idiom, English ) — 1 translation (.! Cases in the example sentence does not match the entry word I love that we all basket case idiom meaning along Well at! Would be carried around in a sentence:... See full answer below stress, anxiety, or the.. Extremely nervous organisation or scheme and is less often applied to an emotionally person., or the like written and spoken English, 0 & & stateHdr.searchDesk a scheme! 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