A very hungry, impatient, restaurant patron that has run out of something at the table. This type of person will resort to shaking whatever he/she needs in a demeaning fashion, for all to see, in order to SHAME the poor waitress/waiter. A truly classless act. Arguably a hate crime.
Friend A: Why is that guy violently shaking a basket over his head?
Friend B: Oh that's Brian. He ran out of chips for his salsa. He's a Basket Shaker for sure. Just look at how upset his waitress is!
When a given situation has no solution.
It makes reference in the form of a parabola to someone who has lost his mental health and has no cure.
It is said that people without cure to a mental disease used to be sent to a mental health care facility for life where they would manufacture baskets for the rest of their lives.
The economoy of Nicaragua is such a basket case.
Peter smokes two packs a day, he is such a basket case