Meaning of kitbag question | Babel Free

Definitions

A question which causes a disadvantage to the asker simply by virtue of being asked.

humorous

Examples

“I think⟳ the original question⟳ was a stupid one in the first place⟳. What we in army used to call⟳ a "kit-bag question⟳"”

“Find⟳ me something assur, and if I want⟳ an exception made, I'll ask⟳ a shayla. Find⟳ me something ambiguous, and if I want⟳ clarification made, I'll ask⟳ a shayla. I'm not about to go around asking kitbag questions.”

“One of my friends, dizzy with fatigue, asked him if we needed to bring⟳ the squad's jerry-cans with us on the long march⟳ to the exercise. "Yes," Evgeny said, smiling wickedly. "Bring⟳ the jerry-cans." At that moment we could have⟳ committed murder⟳. My friend had asked a classic Israeli army "kitbag" question⟳—the entirely unnecessary question⟳ that only serves to make⟳ things worse. Only a schlemiel asks a kitbag question⟳.”

“In Yiddish, a kitbag question⟳ is known as a klots-kashe, or "klutz question⟳," our English "klutz" coming from Yiddish klots, a block⟳ of wood.”

CEFR level