What Does It Mean? The term 'basket case' refers to a person who has lost the ability to function or who has become powerless. Where Does It Come From? Before it was made infamous as a song by American punk poppers Green Day, this is another phrase that is known to have been coined during the First World War; and, as with many idioms from that era, has pretty gruesome origins. In battle, a soldier who had lost both arms and legs to major injuries and had thus to be carried on a basket rather than a stretcher, was known as a 'basket case'. So yeah, grim. 'Basket case' has also been considered by some to mean 'b*stard,' originating from the old Northern French word 'baskot,' although this is more or less unheard of in modern use.
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
