Where did the phrase, "thrown under the bus" come from?

Question

I get what it means; I just want to know who first used it, and under what circumstances.

Answer 1

“To throw someone under the bus” is defined as meaning “to sacrifice; to treat as a scapegoat; tThe earliest solid example of “throw under the bus” found in print so far is from 1991, although a 1984 quote from rock star Cyndi Lauper where she uses the phrase “under the bus” (without “throw”) may or may not count as a sighting. Incidentally, by far the best compilation of citations for the phrase can be found, as usual, at Grant Barrett’s Double-Tongued Dictionary website (www.doubletongued.org).

The exact origin of “thrown under the bus” is, unfortunately, a mystery. Slang expert Paul Dickson, quoted by William Safire in his New York Times magazine column, traces it to sports, specifically the standard announcement by managers trying to get the players to board the team bus: “Bus leaving. Be on it or under it.”

MAYBE THIS HELPS!

Answer 2

Used by the family of the first casualty, whenever, wherever and whoever he or she was, to describe how they died.

In English you can hang someone out to dry, throw him to the wolves, let him twist in the wind, sell him down the river, offer him up as a scapegoat, or make him a fall guy, a patsy, or a sacrificial lamb.

There is rarely a way to verify how these old expressions originated. Somebody said something witty or descriptive, and it was picked up by others and made popular.

Answer 3

From "Slang: the Authoritative Topic-by-Topic Dictionary of American Lingoes from All Walks of Life" by Paul Dickson (Pocket Books, New York, 1990), under "Automotive Slang," "throw under a bus -- Sales talk for selling someone a car or van with all the extras and options at full sticker price or better."

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throw (someone) under the bus

v. phr. to reject or betray (someone); to treat as a scapegoat; to put out of favor or at a disadvantage.

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