handbasket

A set phrase used to emphasize that something has gone wrong or awry. Typically used with the verb "go." I just got pulled into a meeting and assigned a huge project, so my day has really gone to hell in a handbasket. What a mess! This party really went to to hell in a handbasket quickly!

Fig. to get rapidly worse and worse. The school system in this district is going to hell in a bucket, and no mistake. His health is going to hell in a handbasket ever since he started drinking again.

if a person or system is going to hell in a handbasket, they are in an extremely bad state and becoming worse He believes the welfare system in this country is going to hell in a handcart.

Heading for trouble. The expression might possibly have been inspired by the heads of decapitated prisoners falling or being dumped into handbaskets or handcarts. The “handbasket” alliteration following “going to hell” caught on and was applied to anyone whose behavior was likely to lead to an unhappy consequence.