The phrase “basket case” originally referred to a person so badly injured that they had to be carried in a basket. It dates back to World War I, when the term was used for soldiers who had lost limbs and required such support.

Over time, the meaning shifted. By the mid-20th century, “basket case” was being used figuratively to describe someone mentally or emotionally unstable, or unable to cope with daily life. The journey from a literal wartime term to a metaphor for fragility shows how language adapts with changing times.