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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Going to hell in a handbasket #177116 05/23/2008 1:46 PM Joined: May 2008 Posts: 1 Virginia Edward Radcliffe stranger Edward Radcliffe stranger Joined: May 2008 Posts: 1 Virginia Does anyone know or have an idea about the origin of this expression? Rip Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket Edward Radcliffe #177117 05/23/2008 2:20 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass take your pick. the consensus is, no one knows; so we're all free to speculate. -joe (I dunno) friday Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket tsuwm #177120 05/23/2008 4:13 PM Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 155 morphememedley member morphememedley member Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 155 I'll speculate. The forbidden fruit might be in there. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket Edward Radcliffe #177127 05/24/2008 12:04 AM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania The Pook old hand The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania I had always assumed that it had something to do with taking severed heads away in baskets in the bloody aftermath of the French Revolution, but the most likely answer is that it is "an English alliterative phrase of unclear origin," to quote one of the above mentioned sources. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket The Pook #177139 05/24/2008 6:01 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA wow Carpal Tunnel wow Carpal Tunnel Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA I picture a woman (since I are one) on a bicyle, carrying a basket in one hand while steering with the other and going breakneck down a steep hill. Don't know why. Juat do. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket wow #177140 05/25/2008 3:05 AM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of course a woman --Helena Handbasket... one of those name you use in a sign in sheet for a substitute teacher.. (i went to all girl schools, so i know the girl ones.. (vs Richard (aka dick) Hurts.... Who's dick hurts..sort of stuff) my other obsession Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Going to hell in a handbasket of troy #177142 05/25/2008 10:19 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803  Originally Posted By: of troy Helena Handbasket... Wasn't it the Helena Handbaskets in the independent Northern Plains States League where Barry Bonds went after the Giants dropped him? We always spelled it Hertz Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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