Throw "Thrown Under a Bus" Under a Freakin Bus
March 21, 2008 5:57 PM Subscribe
Granted it's a perfect storm of cliche, but you gotta love the optics.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:07 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:07 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
Living in the wilds of Maine, I had never heard this phrase. So no, I'm not sick of it. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:12 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:12 PM on March 21, 2008
Can we throw the Daily Kos under the bus too? And anyone that links to it?
posted by Eekacat at 6:17 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by Eekacat at 6:17 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
You know what also bothers me? Airplane food.
posted by Justinian at 6:20 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 6:20 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Ron Paul's been thrown under a bus all his life!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 6:23 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 6:23 PM on March 21, 2008
Can we throw the Daily Kos under the bus too? And anyone that links to it?
Yeah, eekacat's right. I, too, don't like reading different opinions. They make me feel icky inside.
posted by John of Michigan at 6:26 PM on March 21, 2008 [6 favorites]
Yeah, eekacat's right. I, too, don't like reading different opinions. They make me feel icky inside.
posted by John of Michigan at 6:26 PM on March 21, 2008 [6 favorites]
"Thrown under a bus" is getting tiresome, but it's N times better than "the worm is turning" that was popular a couple years ago. Finally the worm turned on that one and threw it under a bus.
posted by DU at 6:28 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 6:28 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
While we're at it, can we also deep-six "speaking truth to power"?
posted by Class Goat at 6:33 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by Class Goat at 6:33 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
Because power never HAS to listen.
posted by wendell at 6:35 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by wendell at 6:35 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Can I throw "throwing under the bus" as an ironic gesture under the bus?
Because is it a perfectly apt metaphor, and I am sick of being thrown under the bus. If you are using it to mean willfully dicking someone's future life in entirety, then by all means, CONTINUE.
If you truly crave a replacement, might you try reinventing "throw ____ under the train"?
signed,
Concerned Citizen for the Sanctity of Under the Bus.
posted by shownomercy at 6:39 PM on March 21, 2008
Because is it a perfectly apt metaphor, and I am sick of being thrown under the bus. If you are using it to mean willfully dicking someone's future life in entirety, then by all means, CONTINUE.
If you truly crave a replacement, might you try reinventing "throw ____ under the train"?
signed,
Concerned Citizen for the Sanctity of Under the Bus.
posted by shownomercy at 6:39 PM on March 21, 2008
Funny that the DailyKos journal says If I'm going to be honest which is a vastly more stupid phrase, and one that Simon Cowell says from time to time on American Idol (Simon actually says "If I'm being honest"). No doubt where this person got it. Pot, kettle, etc.
posted by dirtdirt at 6:44 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by dirtdirt at 6:44 PM on March 21, 2008
I live in the wilds of Vermont. This post is the first time I have heard of this phrase. Perhaps you are reading the wrong books?
posted by jessamyn at 6:46 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 6:46 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
At the end of the day, there's always going to be an annoying cliche.
posted by MCTDavid at 6:52 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by MCTDavid at 6:52 PM on March 21, 2008 [3 favorites]
There is some guy who comments on the Plain Dealer web site here in Cleveland who's stock phrase is "egg on their face". Whenever anything is reported that might reflect poorly upon someone he gleefully says "______ has egg on their face now!".
Can I throw him under the bus?
posted by sciurus at 6:52 PM on March 21, 2008
Can I throw him under the bus?
posted by sciurus at 6:52 PM on March 21, 2008
Can we throw the Daily Kos under the bus too? And anyone that links to it?
After all, the last thing we need is people who care about stuff and work for it.
posted by DU at 6:53 PM on March 21, 2008
After all, the last thing we need is people who care about stuff and work for it.
posted by DU at 6:53 PM on March 21, 2008
I was sick of it at least three months ago. So were others.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:55 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 6:55 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think it has entered the popular lexicon via competitive reality shows - when a competitor outs another to the judges for doing something that is against the rules or accuses them of otherwise inferior performance, there are accusations of the under the bus throwing-type activity.
But the sort of competitors who engaged in those shenanigans is not there to make friends, they are there to win, and will not let annoying cliches stand in their path to victory.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:57 PM on March 21, 2008
But the sort of competitors who engaged in those shenanigans is not there to make friends, they are there to win, and will not let annoying cliches stand in their path to victory.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:57 PM on March 21, 2008
Just pretend that last sentence is all in the same tense.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:59 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by louche mustachio at 6:59 PM on March 21, 2008
Hey, it's Friday! This post reminds me that it's on Friday nights that I get Michael Quinion's World Wide Words weekly newsletter. Quinion's newsletter is great for keeping abreast of new words and phrases.
I don't know, this new word "eyeball" sounds really freaky to me. I say we THROW IT UNDER THE BUS!!!!!!!
posted by Tube at 7:04 PM on March 21, 2008
I don't know, this new word "eyeball" sounds really freaky to me. I say we THROW IT UNDER THE BUS!!!!!!!
posted by Tube at 7:04 PM on March 21, 2008
So would you rather sit in the back of the bus or be thrown under the bus?
Depends on the bus.
And don't forget Snowclones are the new Cliches, because "x is the new y".
and thanks for the link, Sys Rq, even I had forgotten about that post...
posted by wendell at 7:11 PM on March 21, 2008
Depends on the bus.
And don't forget Snowclones are the new Cliches, because "x is the new y".
and thanks for the link, Sys Rq, even I had forgotten about that post...
posted by wendell at 7:11 PM on March 21, 2008
I believe that the rest of this post got thrown under the bus.
posted by oaf at 7:15 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by oaf at 7:15 PM on March 21, 2008
God threw Jesus under the bus today.
posted by Lord Chancellor at 7:21 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by Lord Chancellor at 7:21 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
After all, the last thing we need is people who care about stuff and work for it.
Lazy, angry rants on an echo-chamber weblog is now 'work?'
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:22 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Lazy, angry rants on an echo-chamber weblog is now 'work?'
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:22 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
I prefer throwing people in front of the bus. That way the front wheels can cause damage too. I'm just sick like that.
posted by naju at 7:24 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by naju at 7:24 PM on March 21, 2008
I've been hearing this expression for years, including "throw myself under the bus", so this post only reminds me how out-of-touch most bloggers are that they think this speech is popularizing it.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:27 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Pastabagel at 7:27 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Daily Kos (or Michale Savage or heck, just substitute yr own _______ ) jumped the shark, like, eons ago.
posted by dawson at 7:48 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by dawson at 7:48 PM on March 21, 2008
el
'What we need here is, we need preview', he huffed, ignoring the obvious
posted by dawson at 7:50 PM on March 21, 2008
'What we need here is, we need preview', he huffed, ignoring the obvious
posted by dawson at 7:50 PM on March 21, 2008
Whenever I find that I've grown tired of reading/hearing a particular phrase, I know my first thought is to post it to Metafilter.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:59 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:59 PM on March 21, 2008 [4 favorites]
While we're at it, can we also deep-six "speaking truth to power"?
No. Because then asshole like Karl Rove win.
Plus, this post sucks.
posted by R. Mutt at 8:02 PM on March 21, 2008
No. Because then asshole like Karl Rove win.
Plus, this post sucks.
posted by R. Mutt at 8:02 PM on March 21, 2008
Yeah, eekacat's right. I, too, don't like reading different opinions. They make me feel icky inside.
And that's why you're a Daily Kos fan. Makes sense.
posted by Krrrlson at 8:05 PM on March 21, 2008
And that's why you're a Daily Kos fan. Makes sense.
posted by Krrrlson at 8:05 PM on March 21, 2008
I may have been born under a bus, because I don't find this phrase ubiquitous.
posted by not_on_display at 8:12 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by not_on_display at 8:12 PM on March 21, 2008
I thot jump the shark got thrown under the bus when thrown under the bus jumped the shark.
But where's the beef? And what's the beef?
posted by hexatron at 8:21 PM on March 21, 2008
But where's the beef? And what's the beef?
posted by hexatron at 8:21 PM on March 21, 2008
this post only reminds me how out-of-touch most bloggers are that they think this speech is popularizing it
Honestly, if they think that Obama threw Wright under the bus, they either don't understand what the expression means, or they completely misunderstood Obama's speech. But the, most bloggers are out of touch to begin with, so it would be a stretch to expect anything resembling insight from them.
Next up... posts from people who are still annoyed by people who say "pro-active", "synergy" and "going forward".
Posturing about shit that annoys you is now officially and intrinsically worse than actually doing or wearing things that annoy people. Supercilious is the new pretentious.
posted by psmealey at 8:32 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Honestly, if they think that Obama threw Wright under the bus, they either don't understand what the expression means, or they completely misunderstood Obama's speech. But the, most bloggers are out of touch to begin with, so it would be a stretch to expect anything resembling insight from them.
Next up... posts from people who are still annoyed by people who say "pro-active", "synergy" and "going forward".
Posturing about shit that annoys you is now officially and intrinsically worse than actually doing or wearing things that annoy people. Supercilious is the new pretentious.
posted by psmealey at 8:32 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also, Obama's grandmother is clearly a racist hate-monger. Why the fuck are we still talking about this?
posted by psmealey at 8:36 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by psmealey at 8:36 PM on March 21, 2008
Having said all that, I'd like to at least make one more stab in the dark, from hell's heart, and give this post a chance to prove its mettle, before throwing it under the bus. Please, people, let's not put the cart before the horse, or cross that bridge before we get to it, or count those fucking chickens before they're fucking hatched, we need to put all our eggs in one basket and ask ourselves if we truly have what it takes to see this thing through to the end. And by end, I mean the end, my only friend. Like a grand slam, hole in one, one in a million, chance in a lifetime, bottom of the ninth, three men on down by three, two strikes down, underhanded, left-handed, underhanded, back-sided, upmarket, down trodden piece of the big enchilada.
This shit is serious. As a motherfucking heart attack.
posted by psmealey at 8:44 PM on March 21, 2008 [6 favorites]
This shit is serious. As a motherfucking heart attack.
posted by psmealey at 8:44 PM on March 21, 2008 [6 favorites]
And Richardson told of the time, during one of the many Democratic debates, when his attention wandered and he didn't hear the question that came at him. Obama, then his rival, bailed him out by whispering to him that it was about Hurricane Katrina.
"He could have thrown me under the bus," Richardson cracked, "but he stood behind me."
posted by aqhong at 8:49 PM on March 21, 2008
"He could have thrown me under the bus," Richardson cracked, "but he stood behind me."
posted by aqhong at 8:49 PM on March 21, 2008
But "I'd rather be hit by a bus" still maintains some resonance for me.
An in, "I'd rather be hit by a bus then have to listen to that bullshit."
posted by PHINC at 8:59 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
An in, "I'd rather be hit by a bus then have to listen to that bullshit."
posted by PHINC at 8:59 PM on March 21, 2008 [1 favorite]
Did anyone else see what psmealey did there?
A total slam-dunk.
posted by Tube at 9:34 PM on March 21, 2008
A total slam-dunk.
posted by Tube at 9:34 PM on March 21, 2008
I don't think we should throw the contributions of Cyndi Lauper to our political discourse under the bus so easily.
posted by dhartung at 9:39 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by dhartung at 9:39 PM on March 21, 2008
it seemed like such a perfectly ironic counter to the song about girls wanking
Limbaugh is an idiot, but not, at the same time... which is why he's so frustrating. He kind of gets irony in the way that fools do, but you can't defeat him on that basis, because he doesn't understand subtext. Case in point: My City was Gone, by the Pretenders.
posted by psmealey at 10:01 PM on March 21, 2008
Limbaugh is an idiot, but not, at the same time... which is why he's so frustrating. He kind of gets irony in the way that fools do, but you can't defeat him on that basis, because he doesn't understand subtext. Case in point: My City was Gone, by the Pretenders.
posted by psmealey at 10:01 PM on March 21, 2008
I can't say I hear the phrase very often, but I do recall Howard Stern using it a lot back when I was still listening to his show. To be honest, I actually think it's a clever little phrase, but it could certainly wear thin with overuse.
posted by Clamwacker at 10:12 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by Clamwacker at 10:12 PM on March 21, 2008
Are you as sick of reading/hearing this as I am? "Thrown under the bus."
YA RLY OMG WTF DIAF kthxbai
posted by spiderwire at 10:41 PM on March 21, 2008
YA RLY OMG WTF DIAF kthxbai
posted by spiderwire at 10:41 PM on March 21, 2008
WOULD USE EBAY FEEDBACK ONE-LINER AGAIN!!!!!!!!1!A+++++++++
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:55 PM on March 21, 2008
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:55 PM on March 21, 2008
Yeah, I hope that the wheels will come off this bus pretty soon. Otherwise, someone will have to put on a clinic about picking the low hanging fruit.
posted by blue shadows at 12:33 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by blue shadows at 12:33 AM on March 22, 2008
This expression has been around for a while, used especially often in political contexts. I hate the bus as much as anyone else, but why get rid of it now?
posted by spaltavian at 12:43 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by spaltavian at 12:43 AM on March 22, 2008
If there's a bus trope in your op eds, don't be alarmed now. It's just more slap fights 'til the May sweeps.
posted by maryh at 1:07 AM on March 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by maryh at 1:07 AM on March 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
As the British would say (again and again and again ...) ...
Brilliant!
posted by bwg at 6:13 AM on March 22, 2008
Brilliant!
posted by bwg at 6:13 AM on March 22, 2008
This is also a very common phrase among comedians. Used almost daily amongst stand-ups on the Opie and Anthony radio show.
posted by shinynewnick at 7:05 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by shinynewnick at 7:05 AM on March 22, 2008
"It does the same work as 'thrown off a pier' or 'tossed out a window,' according to Nunberg, the Berkeley linguist, who declined to add yet another theory to origin of the phrase ("Maybe it was rockers. Maybe it was baseball. The fact is these things tend to grow etymologies after the fact," he says.) [Emphasis added.]
And this is why Geoff Nunberg is my favorite pop linguist (in the sense of a real linguist who writes for the public at large, not idiot "mavens" who pretend they know about language). He puts an important point in concise, memorable form.
Otherwise, what mr_crash_davis said.
posted by languagehat at 7:25 AM on March 22, 2008
And this is why Geoff Nunberg is my favorite pop linguist (in the sense of a real linguist who writes for the public at large, not idiot "mavens" who pretend they know about language). He puts an important point in concise, memorable form.
Otherwise, what mr_crash_davis said.
posted by languagehat at 7:25 AM on March 22, 2008
And that's why you're a Daily Kos fan. Makes sense.
Krrlson, true, I read DailyKos. And MetaFilter. And Free Republic. And Arts & Letters Daily. And about a zillion other websites.
Did you have a point? Trolling? Being an asshole?
posted by John of Michigan at 7:36 AM on March 22, 2008
Krrlson, true, I read DailyKos. And MetaFilter. And Free Republic. And Arts & Letters Daily. And about a zillion other websites.
Did you have a point? Trolling? Being an asshole?
posted by John of Michigan at 7:36 AM on March 22, 2008
I thought throwing someone under the bus was a bit of law enforcement jargon based on all the instructors at my academy who said it last year.
posted by ericales at 9:08 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by ericales at 9:08 AM on March 22, 2008
I heard some asshole radio talk show host respond to Obama's recent speech by saying that "he threw his grandmother under the bus." Yes, this is a especially annoying cliche, perhaps because it doesn't make sense. When was the last time one person threw another person under a bus? That would be a pretty athletic feat, unlike, say, pushing someone off a cliff or sticking a knife into their heart or putting cyanide in their coffee. At the end of the day, though, all asshole radio talk show hosts will have their feet put to the fire and their cheesefries thrown into the woodchipper.
posted by kozad at 10:06 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by kozad at 10:06 AM on March 22, 2008
I was always saddened that "the bitch hit {me/him/her} with a toaster" never caught on. That's an awesome phrase that never found its niche.
posted by stace at 10:22 AM on March 22, 2008
posted by stace at 10:22 AM on March 22, 2008
why do you insist on making this "throwing under the bus" trope a hot-button issue?
let's speak truth to power, fight the power, find unity in diversity and push the envelope. we really just all need to think outside the box.
posted by CitizenD at 10:47 AM on March 22, 2008
let's speak truth to power, fight the power, find unity in diversity and push the envelope. we really just all need to think outside the box.
posted by CitizenD at 10:47 AM on March 22, 2008
It's a bit overused lately, but like most things, it only really bothers me when it's used wrong... like, um, in about seventy three places on this page.
It doesn't just mean disposing of someone. It means disposing of someone as a way to gain traction or advance oneself... the way one might throw, like, any disposable object under the wheels if you're slipping and need to move forward. An unloved piece of clothing, for example.
posted by rokusan at 11:44 AM on March 22, 2008
It doesn't just mean disposing of someone. It means disposing of someone as a way to gain traction or advance oneself... the way one might throw, like, any disposable object under the wheels if you're slipping and need to move forward. An unloved piece of clothing, for example.
posted by rokusan at 11:44 AM on March 22, 2008
Ooo!! Ooo!! "You're either with the bus, or you're against the bus!"
Zing!
posted by RockCorpse at 12:42 PM on March 22, 2008
Zing!
posted by RockCorpse at 12:42 PM on March 22, 2008
stace: if you'll commit to using it frequently, I will to. Together, we can change the world!
posted by Picklegnome at 1:09 PM on March 22, 2008
posted by Picklegnome at 1:09 PM on March 22, 2008
While we're at it, can we also deep-six "speaking truth to power"?
Not until someone starts doing it.
posted by nax at 1:16 PM on March 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
Not until someone starts doing it.
posted by nax at 1:16 PM on March 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
I'm personally really sick of "make no mistake".
posted by RockCorpse at 1:33 PM on March 22, 2008
posted by RockCorpse at 1:33 PM on March 22, 2008
"the bitch hit {me/him/her} with a toaster"
Amusingly (to me anyway), I say this all the time. Usually when one of my co-workers has done something wrong that I'm going to have to clean up.
A few months ago my boss indicated that he suspected that another department was going to attempt to blame our for their substandard numbers. He said that he "fully expected them to throw us under the bus".
I stared blankly at him for a little bit and then replied as earnestly as I could, "Do you really think they'd resort to attempted murder? It seems a bit extreme."
I completely and totally derailed him. It was awesome.
posted by quin at 1:43 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Amusingly (to me anyway), I say this all the time. Usually when one of my co-workers has done something wrong that I'm going to have to clean up.
A few months ago my boss indicated that he suspected that another department was going to attempt to blame our for their substandard numbers. He said that he "fully expected them to throw us under the bus".
I stared blankly at him for a little bit and then replied as earnestly as I could, "Do you really think they'd resort to attempted murder? It seems a bit extreme."
I completely and totally derailed him. It was awesome.
posted by quin at 1:43 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Annoying cliches didn't really annoy me until I read all of them all at once in this thread. Now I want to go around my house and break things.
posted by tehloki at 2:34 PM on March 22, 2008
posted by tehloki at 2:34 PM on March 22, 2008
Thrown under a bus
from whence did this phrase come and
who was the victim?
posted by bwg at 5:05 PM on March 22, 2008
from whence did this phrase come and
who was the victim?
posted by bwg at 5:05 PM on March 22, 2008
tehloki, go die in a fire.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 8:18 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by gorgor_balabala at 8:18 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
I believe the victims were the Seattle Seahawks?
Also, shorter Daily Kos:
BREAKING: Shrillary throws _________ under the bus!
This week with Barack Obama: Obama hits it out of the park again!!!!!!!!
posted by citron at 11:43 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Also, shorter Daily Kos:
BREAKING: Shrillary throws _________ under the bus!
This week with Barack Obama: Obama hits it out of the park again!!!!!!!!
posted by citron at 11:43 PM on March 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
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