Where did going to hell in a handbasket come from?

‘” The origin of the phrase although much debated has been attributed to the gold rush where men were lowered by hand in baskets down mining shafts to set dynamite which could have deadly consequences.

What is the meaning of hand basket?

Definition of handbasket : a small portable basket —usually used in the phrase to hell in a handbasket denoting rapid and utter ruination.

What does going to hell in a bucket mean?

To be in an extremely and increasingly bad or ruinous condition; to be on the inevitable path to utter failure or ruin. With the way he’s running things, the company is going to hell in a bucket!

Where did the phrase What the hell come from?

The earliest use in print recorded by editors of the Oxford English Dictionary comes from the 1920s. From a story handed down in my family (U.S.), I know the phrase was used in the late 19th century, if not earlier. It might have come from “what IN hell…,” similar to “what on earth….” That’s speculation, though.

Is handbasket one word or two?

a small basket with a handle for carrying by hand.

What does living high on the hog mean?

Also, live high on the hog. Prosper, live luxuriously, as in When Aunt Ida dies and they inherit her estate, they’ll be eating high off the hog, or Since their loan was approved, they’ve been living high on the hog.

What is the Old English word for hell?

hel
The modern English word hell is derived from Old English hel, helle (first attested around 725 AD to refer to a nether world of the dead) reaching into the Anglo-Saxon pagan period.

What the hell going on meaning?

“What the hell is going on?” the teacher might ask. It usually doesn’t mean the person uttering the phrase actually doesn’t know what is going on, but is using the phrase to make the person or people behaving badly aware that such behav…

What is the meaning of precipitately?

to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly: to precipitate an international crisis. to cast, plunge, or send, especially violently or abruptly: He precipitated himself into the struggle. Chemistry. to separate (a substance) in solid form from a solution, as by means of a reagent.

What does screw your loaf mean?

UK old-fashioned. used to tell someone in a slightly angry way to think more carefully about what they are doing.