The True Story of 'Basket Case'How a horrifying WWI rumor created a modern phrase.

From the show

History of Phrases

The term 'basket case' has a disturbing origin, born from a grisly, unfounded rumor about WWI soldiers. It began as a gruesome fiction used to describe quadruple amputees, a story so powerful that official government denials couldn't stop it. This history reveals how a baseless, sensational story can become embedded in our language, evolving from a depiction of total physical helplessness to a common expression for emotional or mental distress.