Hello Everyone, students, Rams, people, They / them / theirs /Ze / hir / hir
and Nige.
I am so pleased to see all you deplorables this Sunday morning ready to learn how to use inclusive language.
Today the lesson is about a term that originally referred to a person, usually a soldier who had lost two or more limbs. Because of their disability, the soldier was carried around inside a basket.
Below is a photo of a Civil war amputee carrying basket from 1861. According to the card shown in the photo, the historical origin of the phrase ‘basket case’ came from Civil war veterans with amputated legs who were carried around in these baskets.
The term basket case, therefore, has a negative historical meaning and should not be used. A dictionary definition of the term says that it is an informal noun that describes a person or thing regarded as useless or unable to cope.
“do that for a couple of days and you become a blithering basket case”
It can also describe a country or organization that is in severe financial or economic difficulties, especially one that is unable to pay its debts.
“Sudden meltdowns—such as the financial crisis—can turn flourishing countries into basket cases overnight”
The word Basket case can be extremely offensive and it is a word that you should avoid using. The urban dictionary defines it as an insult, usually a stereotype or label.
A basketcase is a common word used to describe a social outcast in school. Some characteristics of a basketcase included emotional instability, weirdness, and constant isolation from mainstream society. A basketcase is often independent and isolationist, in other words, anti-social.
This word was widely used in the 80s. Like most slang prior to the 90s, it has fallen into disuse. Today, a basketcase can be categorized in three groups known as the goth, emo, and punk.”You are such a basketcase!” – Random Prep
“I know, I don’t follow the trend, you got a problem with that?”
Instead of using the term basket case you should say ” I’m nervous.” You should never use insults in any situation of course as insults hurt people’s feelings.
Well, Deplorables that’s my Sunday lesson over. It’s time for me to cycle off to my Women only pussy hat knitting circle. With luck, I will avoid those terrible Car fascists as efficiently as I avoid both meat and soap.
