Hello jules10,
There are many explanations of the origin and meaning of the
expression "going to hell in a handbasket." I will provide links to a
few discussions of the word and its history, but first, here is a
fairly concise explanation:
'This phrase, meaning "to deteriorate rapidly", originated in the U.S.
in the early 20th century. A handbasket is just a basket with a
handle. Something carried in a handbasket goes wherever it's going
without much resistance.
James L. Rader of Merriam-Webster Editorial Dept. writes: "The
Dictionary of American Regional English [...] records 'to go to heaven
in a handbasket' much earlier than [...] 'hell,' which is not attested
before the 1950s. The earliest cite in our files is from 1949 [...].
'In a handbasket' seems to imply ease and and speed [...]. Perhaps
part of the success of these phrases must simply be ascribed to the
force of alliteration. DARE has a much earlier
citation for another alliterative collocation with 'handbasket'
(1714), from Samuel Sewall's diary: 'A committee brought in something
about Piscataqua. Govr said he would give his head in a Handbasket as
soon as he would pass it.' I suspect that 'to go to hell in a
handbasket' has been around much longer than our records would seem to
indicate."'
"go to hell in a handbasket", by Mark Israel
The fast-access FAQ (Mark Israel's AUE FAQ (September 1997), adapted
for fast access by Bob Cunningham)
The alt.usage.english Home Page
http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxgotohe.html
Here are other good discussions of this phrase:
"Wordwatch: The origins of words" (Merriam-Webster) (Jan. 02, 2003)
CentreDaily.com
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/4860576.htm
"Going to Hell in a Handbasket", by Michael Quinion
World Wide Words
http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-goi1.htm
"Going to Hell in a Handbasket", by Charles Henderson, Guide to
Christianity - General
About.com
http://christianity.about.com/library/weekly/aa102600.htm
[Note: This last article is partially discussion of the phrase and its
origin, especially in paragraphs 2-4, and partially personal opinion.]
I hope that this information is helpful.
- justaskscott-ga
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