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by   on March 18th, 2007

 

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How did the term "basket case" become a slang term for a crazy/mentally ill person?

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  • by Im Alec has abandoned this account on March 18th, 2007

    Im Alec has abandoned this account

    Originally "basket case" referred not to mental illness, but to physical injuries, particularly in warfare. A "basket case" was someone who would have (probably figuratively rather than literally) to be carried around in a basket, someone so badly injured they would never fight again. Being generalized, it means someone damaged to the point of uselessness, someone who will never recover from their ailments.

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  • by Juice on February 17th, 2011

    Juice

    I dunno, but the first time I heard that was when I watched The Breakfast Club.

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Slang for mentally ill
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Slang for mental illness
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