Kangaroo Court: Attributed to a the hastily carried-out proceedings used to deal with the claim-hopping miners during the Klondike Goldrush. Also attributed to the pouch of a kangaroo, meaning the court is in someone’s pocket. Scapegoat: In ancient Greece a beggar or criminal was cast out of the community, either in response to a natural disaster or crisis. In the Bible, the goat that was designated to be outcast in the desert as part of the Day of Atonement.