Go to hell is going to hell, what is Go to hell in a handbasket?

"Go to hell" should be one of the most common words in the world, but in addition to swearing by this sentence in English, there is also a sentence "go to hell with a handbasket", which does not mean exactly a curse People go to hell. Not going to the underworld and hell under the Naihe Bridge, but going in a basket, what does it mean?

go to hell in a handbasket [goʊ tu ˈhɛl ɪn ə ˈhændbæskət]

Handbasket is a combination of hand (hand) and basket (basket). It is a hand-held basket with a handle. The origin of the phrase "go to hell with a handbasket" has not been verified, but there is a set of unverified sayings that are suitable for us to use purely for association and memory.

It is said that when we watch European and American costume dramas, there will be a so-called guillotine. When the executed prisoner is decapitated by the executioner, the head will fall directly into the basket next to the guillotine, so that the executioner can carry it away after the execution. This head in the basket symbolizes that people go straight to hell and take the direct train to hell.

But do you think "going to hell with a carry-on basket" is the "going to hell" we use to curse people? actually not. The Chinese meaning of go to hell in a handbasket is "rapid deterioration, sharp turn down, and rapid decline". In short, the core concept is "to describe the rapid development of things in the worst direction." The same speed, rushing to the worst place (hell), emphasizing the process of rapid deterioration. On the contrary, go to hell means that no matter whether the situation deteriorates or not, you will go to hell anyway.

It's not just the tote that is the direct train to hell

Instead of handbasket, you can replace it with handcart [ˈhændkɑrt] or bucket [ˈbʌkət]. In fact, humans have come up with many "carriers" that can be used to carry human bodies.

A handcart is a handcart (pictured below) that we often see in costume dramas, such as the long-handled carts that the ancients used to carry sauces, straws or people. When we watch war movies, we see carts being used to carry soldiers' bodies in large numbers.

As for the bucket (barrel), it has also become something used to carry corpses (although it is very crowded...). So you can also say go to hell in a handcart or go to hell in a bucket.

Our economy went to hell in a handbasket since the start of this year, but finally there is hope starting from next year.

Our economy has plummeted since the beginning of this year, but there is finally hope from the beginning of next year.

The singer fell from the stage and the live performance went to hell in a handcart.

The singer fell off the stage, and the live performance immediately became a mess.

The host's offensive words made his talk show's reputation go to hell in a bucket.

The host's offensive remarks quickly deteriorated his talk show reputation.

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