General Cycling Discussion - Need help with cliche

My boss is the king of cliche usage. He uses them so often I can't really keep up. He used one today that I've heard many times but never really understood. ...GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET!
:confused:
People say it all the time, but I can't figure out what that means. Anyone have a clue?

I've heard some really good ones over the past few years. Please note some of your favorites/favourites. I would really like to see how cliches are used in different parts of the country and world.

Thanks

This is just a guess: "in a handbasket" implies that somebody's carrying whoever or whatever (usually "this country") is going to hell, so there isn't even any need for effort (e. g. walking).

Also, the handbasket mode of transportation probably sounded pretty undignified to many hearers, so there's an added element of quasi-insult.

My grandmother, who came from the hill country of Arkansas, had a saying she used to refer to something that had been going on for a long time: "Since Hector was a pup." Did this refer to the Hector of Greek legend, or some other one?

Another expression of hers was "Land o' Goshen!" for fairly strong surprise.

AF,

Here are a couple of tidbits I ran across that may shed some light on your question.

As I was reading the info on the meaning or derivation of "going to hell in a hand basket" (also there was mention of "head in a hand basket" a couple of times) it occurred to me the when the guillotine was used in France to decapitate the criminals that their heads would fall into a basket. Get it? Head in a basket...they were small baskets that could have been considered hand baskets and they were criminals and thugs ( for the most part!) and therefore would go to hell after death.

-- OR --

Going to hell in a handbasket'' is an informal expression (first used in the early 20th century) that means "quickly and surely heading toward deterioration or ruin".

Hope this helps.

I can think of many "old sayings" and cliches, but they don't get under my skin as much as people who "don't have a problem or concern with something, they have an ISSUE"!
What does that mean? Is it a problem or an issue? I'm even hearing the term used on TV commercials.

Ron

LOL Ron! I use ISSUE all the time at work...as in "it is a modem ISSUE." Trying to be nice and tell a customer that the $750 discount store computer they just bought has a cheap, barely functional $3 modem in it!

Well, it's not a cliche, AF, but the strongest oath my paternal grandmother uttered was "pshaw!" Don't know what it meant, but she was sure mad when she said it! This could be an interesting thread!