Hell in a Handbasket

I thought of that today when I saw one of those horrible examples of parenting in today’s world.

I grow weary of seeing these horrendous displays in daily life–at the supermarket, mall, sports arena, etc.

They make me mutter: “Civilization is going to Hell in a handbasket.”

I won’t go into that story, but I will tell you where the phrase Hell in a handbasket originated.

What the Heck is a Handbasket?

Why, it’s a small portable basket we no longer use. Now we carry purses, briefcases, messenger bags, tote bags, and backpacks.

The thought behind the phrase is 17th century, but the precise wording going to hell in a handbasket  and its alternative form going to hell in a handcart originated in the U. S. around the middle of the 19th century.

The phrase describes a situation headed inescapably for disaster. Of all the variations, the handbasket version of the phrase is now the more common.

Some of the origins attributed to the phrase include the Hieronymous Bosch painting The Haywain (c. 1515) which hangs in the Prado in Madrid.

The painting depicts a large cart of hay heading to Hell with the cart drawn by “infernal beings that drag everyone to Hell.” I assume that means demons. (Wikipedia)

PhraseFinder gives a first reference found in print in the House Documents of the U.S. Congress, 1867: “Speaking of men who had been arrested he [Judge Morris] said, “Some of our very best, and thousands of brave men, at this very moment in Camp Douglas, are our friends; who, if they were once at liberty, would send the abolitionists to hell in a hand-basket.”

Takeaway Truth

Let’s bring back decency, courtesy, and the ability to speak in public without loud utterances of the F-word as every part of speech–especially when children are present.

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