In German, ein Korb geben–literally, to “give a basket”—means to “turn down a potential date.” This idiom derives from a medieval legend about a castle-dwelling woman. Instead of letting her hair down for a suitor she didn’t fancy, she let down a large basket. He got in, and she pulled it only halfway up, leaving him there to be humiliated in front of the townsfolk. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “German Idiom “Give a Basket” Means Turning Down a Date”
In Germany, if you ask someone for a date and they don’t want to go out with you, they don’t turn you down.
They give you a basket.
An actual basket?
Yeah, I’m always carrying baskets in Germany.
No, the phrase is einen Korpsgeben, and it means to give you a basket.
There was a medieval legend about a woman who was being courted by this guy who wanted to marry her.
And she lived in a castle and there was a window.
And instead of letting her hair down like Rapunzel, she let down a basket.
And he was supposed to get in the basket and she was going to haul him up.
It so happened that she decided to turn him down.
And so she hauled up the basket halfway and left him hanging there all night so that he was made fun of in the morning.
Oh.
Yeah.
So if you’re given a basket when you ask somebody out in Germany, it means you’ve been turned down.
Well, don’t turn us down.
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