basket case

Why is an overly emotional, frantic person sometimes called a basket case?

The term basket case originated in the U.S. military to denote someone (esp. a soldier) who had lost all four limbs and was therefore unable to move independently. The term was later broadened to include those who could not support themselves emotionally or mentally.

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autism

The name of the mental condition was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who called it autismus (from Greek autos "self" + ismos "an action or state") after the symptomatic "morbid self-absorption" exhibited by those afflicted.

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broad (woman)

Why are women sometimes referred to as broads?

Originally the term broad referred chiefly to a promiscuous woman or prostitute, and therefore may derive from bawd (a woman in charge of a brothel). However, the more likely explanation is that the word simply alludes to the broad breasts and buttocks of females relative to those of males.

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