[Ads-l] minibus

[Ben Zimmer]

I shared the example below on ADS-L in 2005, which makes it clear that
"minibus" is an intentionally formed diminutive of "omnibus (bill)." It
also includes the coinage "deminibus," which seems to play off "de minimis."

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2005-March/046968.html

CQ TODAY

March 5, 2005 -- 1:13 a.m.
Cochran Coins New Term for Multiple-Bill Spending Packages
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff

In typically understated fashion, Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad
Cochran, R-Miss., has coined a new term in the lexicon of spending.

After winning his colleagues’ support for a plan to restructure his
committee, Cochran said the days of the appropriations omnibus -- a measure
combining several spending bills -- are finished.

"We're not going to have any," Cochran declared softly. But, questioned
about the possibility of a "minibus," a diminutive that has come to
describe an omnibus bearing just a few bills, Cochran quickly countered
with a new construction, presumably meaning a vehicle with a very small
number of bills. He called it "deminibus."

On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 12:27 PM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> Could it just be autocorrect run rampant?
> DanG
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 11:57 AM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > This sense not in OED.  "Minibus" -- as a smaller type of "omnibus".
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 2000 Cincinnati Enquirer 27 Oct 6/3
> >
> >
> > The “mini-bus” package, a compilation of several health bills introduced
> > this session, passed the Senate by unanimous consent Thursday.
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/102421564/?terms=%22minibus%20package%22&match=1
> >
> >
> >
> > 2007 [Jasper IN] Herald 1 Nov 20/4
> >
> > The Democratic congressional leadership should not now cynically used
> them
> > to shoulder a bloated ‘minibus’ funding bill up Pennsylvania Avenue and
> > wrest billions in excessive spending.
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/541939373/?terms=%20minibus%20omnibus&match=1
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 2009 Boston Globe 12 Jun A15/1
> >
> > The Obama administration’s macroeconomic polices to “stimulate” the
> > economy have been unprecedented and visible, costing Americans in the
> > trillions, including $787 billion for the “stimulus”, a $410 billion
> > “omnibus” spending package (on top of last September’s $800 billion
> > “minibus” spending), and another $600 billion or more for the financial
> > bailout, over and above all the automatic federal entitlement pending.
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/443930424/?terms=%22minibus%20spending%22&match=1
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 2017 [Phoenix] Arizona Republic 6 Oct 6/4
> >
> > House Republicans have passed a “minibus” spending bill that included
> $1.6
> > billion for construction of new barriers at the border.
> >
> >
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/343742144/?terms=%22passed%20a%20minibus%22&match=1
> >
>

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