Phrase-"thrown under the bus"

[Troy]

Although Urban Dictionary is far from reliable, the
below suggested origin seems to bear what minor
scrutiny I can give it for the moment as google web
search comes back with a heavy sports emphasis.

Origin: A Boston radio station manager coined the term
circa 1987-88 when canceling a radio network's
services on his music-oriented FM station, stating
that he was going to put the network "under the bus."
The term was picked up by staff members to describe
conduct in which one person would try to gain an
advantage in company politics by speaking ill of, or
doing something to reflect disfavorably on, another.
In this context, it generally meant something that was
a combination of sneaky, subtle and vicious. The
phrase crept into on-air talk. In time, the radio
station's owner acquired a sports-oriented station
whose employees picked up the phrase and eventually
began using it on highly-rated programs.

--- Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society
> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM>
> Subject:      Phrase-"thrown under the bus"
>
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>
> Couldn't find it in the archives.
>
> I've become aware of it in the last few months, but
> upon reading it =
> twice this weekend in stories, I just have to ask
> who invented it?  =
> Fred?
>
> A news story today about steroids/Jason Grimsley
>
> "I don't have a comment," added Tejada, who was also
> involved in a =
> steroid controversy with former teammate Rafael
> Palmeiro. "What can I =
> do? I just played one [year] with Grimsley. I
> already got thrown under =
> the bus with Palmeiro. I'm not worried about it, and
> I said I don't have =
> a comment."=20
>
> Then, in a story about the Foley affair,  I read it
> again.
>
> So, I Google "under the bus" using their News
> search, and got an =
> astounding 588 hits!
>
> Hopefully this indicates the expression has "jumped
> the shark" and will =
> soon disappear.
>
> Sam Clements
>
>
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> http://www.americandialect.org
>


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