2025-04-09
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Rejecting someone romantically in Germany? You might be "giving them a basket" - especially when turning down a date or proposal.
The expression dates back to medieval times with a fascinating origin story: when a young woman wasn't interested in a suitor who came calling, she would lower a basket from her window that had a weak bottom. When the would-be lover stepped in to be pulled up, he would fall through – a clear but humorous rejection. The phrase first appeared in literature around the 16th century.
🇩🇪 – Als er sie zum Abendessen einlud, gab sie ihm einen Korb. 🇬🇧 – When he invited her to dinner, she turned him down.