History of the term “catch the bus”?

[HadEnough1974]

I have a question. Who first coined the term "catch the bus"? And why not "catch the train" or "catch the flight" or just "checking out"? I'm really curious about the history of the term. Thank you.

 

[Rhyme]

I've also heard it called "Cease To Breathe" so that could have something to do with it.

 

[HadEnough1974]

I've also heard it called "Cease To Breathe" so that could have something to do with it.

Interesting. Perhaps the moderators can answer this.

 

[Backwood_tilt]

Might be from alt.suicide.holiday, a spiritual successor to SS:

The community has developed its own unique terminology. "Catch the bus" refers to the act of suicide, and the group is described as:

A bus stop where several people have decided to stop and chat before deciding on whether or not to get on the bus. Wikipedia

 

[HopeDiesLast]

I find the term really odd and non-sensical
A bus is a vehicle of mass transportation. And suicide is typically a solitary activity. It's not like we're all taking a party bus together to our final destination (although that does sound like a lot of fun)

 

[WhyIsLife56]

One of the old users here (who is no longer here) actually mentioned that "getting off the train" would be a better phrase than "catching the bus"

 

[HopeDiesLast]

Might be from alt.suicide.holiday, a spiritual successor to SS:

That's not a bad explanation.

 

[HadEnough1974]

Might be from alt.suicide.holiday, a spiritual successor to SS:

Thank you for that. But who said it first and is this person still alive?

 

[ctbUniquectb]

Thank you for that. But who said it first and is this person still alive?

Oft quoted in honored glory: a pro choice poster known but to God

 

[ThatIsTheQuestion]

Might be from alt.suicide.holiday, a spiritual successor to SS:

It is. ASH was a Usenet board from the early 90s, before the web existed, and a lot of SS concepts date back to them. Some of the language around here is even completely pre-Internet. Like, actual books.

 

[Jean Améry]

I find the term really odd and non-sensical
A bus is a vehicle of mass transportation. And suicide is typically a solitary activity. It's not like we're all taking a party bus together to our final destination (although that does sound like a lot of fun)

It's only nonsensical if you don't know the history of that phrase. To my knowledge it refers to the sense of community of the original ASH newsgroup: it's not so much the bus analogy that is important but the bus stop where people wait for their bus to come. Given that more people take the bus or at least plan on doing so (of course the analogy is not perfect: obviously not many people actually got a real bus stop to contemplate whether or not to actually take the bus) a number of people will usually gather at a bus stop waiting for their bus to arrive. They might even interact with one-another, basically what we're doing here.

Suicide is usually a solitary activity yes (obviously suicide pacts do exist) but this forum and its predecessors do provide a community to those who contemplate suicide, i.e. 'catching the bus'.

On a global or even nationwide scale suicide is a mass phenomenon: according to the UN over 800.000 people kill themselves every year.

 

[Quarky00]

A bus is a vehicle of mass transportation.

"getting off the train"

ASH euphemism = holiday

You "catch the bus" to go on "holiday", we wish you "safe travels" :)

We come every day to the bus stop (SS) , some leave , others remain ..

 

[BPD Barbie]

I've always read it as 'cease to be' despite knowing it was 'catch the bus'. But we have a lot of acronyms on this site, maybe its a safety thing.

 

[Epsilon0]

ASH euphemism = holiday

You "catch the bus" to go on "holiday", we wish you "safe travels" :)

We come every day to the bus stop (SS) , some leave , others remain ..

Yes, some of us are in limbo. Like myself. Forever waiting for Godot, suspended in a state of absurdity.

 

[Quarky00]

Sorry, I was inaccurate (re-reading ASH files) –

set up in early 1988 to discuss why suicides increase during the holiday seasons; this topic however, quickly ran thin.

Indeed a metaphor for a waiting room (@Epsilon0), after a long journey decided to travel faraway –

a.s.h. is sort of like Death's Bus Stop.

We're all sitting around, waiting for the bus, shooting the shit. Eventually, we all intend to get on (occasionally, one of us does), although it's not exactly an easy thing to do, for various reasons. So while we're waiting, we discuss ways to make it easier, among other things.

But here's the deal: this newsgroup is for people who have already decided that, at some point, we are gonna GET ON THAT BUS. We're not the least bit interested in being talked into getting up off the bench and going home. And we don't care if that seems sad, or pathetic, or whatever.

 

[Roger]

I have a question. Who first coined the term "catch the bus"? And why not "catch the train" or "catch the flight" or just "checking out"? I'm really curious about the history of the term. Thank you.

The origin, usages, development and corruption of slang words and phrases has been one of my interests for many years.

The term "missed the bus" has been used to refer to failure for at least 80 years. The British Prime Minister at the beginning of WW2, Neville Chamberlain, seemed fond of the term, having used it in private letters in 1938, and in speeches in 1940. "Hitler has missed the bus" he opined, referring to the failure of the Nazis to exploit their military advantages in the late 1930s. Whether he was the original source, or whether he was using a term already current is hard to say, but offhand I know of no earlier recorded example of it being used.

After the German invasion and occupation of Norway, when German forces decisively trounced the British and French armies the phrase came back to haunt him, and in a May 1940 speech in the House of Commons he was taunted with it by Opposition MPs. When the Leader of the Opposition, Clement Attlee stood to make his reply to the Prime Minister's statement, he said something like, "The Prime Minister has talked about Hitler missing the bus. But he and his Ministers have missed all the busses since 1931. They missed all the peace busses, but caught the war bus." (Caveat: I may not have the exact words.)

So at this stage (7 May 1940) we have the term "catching the bus" as a euphemism for success, verified by Hansard, the British Parliamentary official record of proceedings in Parliament.

Naturally, in the normal manner of the development of vernacular language, the terms "missing/catching the bus" became regular slang usage for failure/success. At some point somebody has used it in the context of succeeding in an attempt at suicide, and, well, it's caught on here.

 

[Flippy]

I find the term really odd and non-sensical
A bus is a vehicle of mass transportation. And suicide is typically a solitary activity. It's not like we're all taking a party bus together to our final destination (although that does sound like a lot of fun)

Lol! I'll bring the coolaid, all we need is some cyanide and some benzos! Yikes! My sense of humour is obviously gotten quite dark today.

 

[ctbUniquectb]

I've always read it as 'cease to be' despite knowing it was 'catch the bus'. But we have a lot of acronyms on this site, maybe its a safety thing.

there's also close the book, better stated as close the books for those with business backgrounds. I'm a big big fan of this version since most of us aren't just taking a hop from lover's leap. There are things to do before you final confirmation of matching debits and credits on the balance sheet

 

[hadenough]

I heard it comes from Beachy Head, where people would "catch the bus" from town to the cliff tops/

 

[ctbUniquectb]

I heard it comes from Beachy Head, where people would "catch the bus" from town to the cliff tops/

NICE!

 

[WhyIsLife56]

ASH euphemism = holiday

You "catch the bus" to go on "holiday", we wish you "safe travels" :)

We come every day to the bus stop (SS) , some leave , others remain ..

"In reality: I won't be "catching" some bus, but more accurately I will in fact get off the train (at a subjective reference frame of choice). The train of which has been in ceaseless motion & decay along a path to its final destination (death), ever since the very beginning of my ephemeral & finite Homo sapiens experience."

 

[Thereisnothing]

I assumed along the lines of it being called catch the bus, as suicide is a journey I suppose, like you get on a bus to go somewhere. Always feels its a little silly phrase for it mind.

 

[Quarky00]

@WhyIsLife56 , well said.
I feel the same, but more like derailing the train to crash.

 

[WhyIsLife56]

@WhyIsLife56 , well said.
I feel the same, but more like derailing the train to crash.

It was someone else's quote not mine, which I agree to. I'm glad I found the quote in time :)

 

[jgm63]

Well I just look at it as going on a new adventure. So you are catching a bus to take you on a new magical mystery tour (which involves a bus, so.......)

 

[Jean Améry]

The origin, usages, development and corruption of slang words and phrases has been one of my interests for many years.

The term "missed the bus" has been used to refer to failure for at least 80 years. The British Prime Minister at the beginning of WW2, Neville Chamberlain, seemed fond of the term, having used it in private letters in 1938, and in speeches in 1940. "Hitler has missed the bus" he opined, referring to the failure of the Nazis to exploit their military advantages in the late 1930s. Whether he was the original source, or whether he was using a term already current is hard to say, but offhand I know of no earlier recorded example of it being used.

After the German invasion and occupation of Norway, when German forces decisively trounced the British and French armies the phrase came back to haunt him, and in a May 1940 speech in the House of Commons he was taunted with it by Opposition MPs. When the Leader of the Opposition, Clement Attlee stood to make his reply to the Prime Minister's statement, he said something like, "The Prime Minister has talked about Hitler missing the bus. But he and his Ministers have missed all the busses since 1931. They missed all the peace busses, but caught the war bus." (Caveat: I may not have the exact words.)

So at this stage (7 May 1940) we have the term "catching the bus" as a euphemism for success, verified by Hansard, the British Parliamentary official record of proceedings in Parliament.

Naturally, in the normal manner of the development of vernacular language, the terms "missing/catching the bus" became regular slang usage for failure/success. At some point somebody has used it in the context of succeeding in an attempt at suicide, and, well, it's caught on here.

Interesting explanation. Thanks.

 

[SinisterKid]

I did look into the saying and indeed did find the same explanation as Hadenough. Eastbourne is the nearest town to Beachy Head and loners were labelled as "catching their bus" when seen waiting for the local bus out to Beachy Head which has long been a favourite place for people to jump to their deaths from the cliffs there.

 

[Merith]

I always thought it meant "cross the bridge"; as in the "bridge between the earth and the afterlife, lol

 

[jgm63]

I always thought it meant "cross the bridge"; as in the "bridge between the earth and the afterlife, lol

I gave you a "false" WOW ! response there, just for dramatic effect
No offence meant, just a bit of fun.....

 

[Deleted member 94]

Somewhere on this website is another actual reason listed it was about a movie about suicide and the actor in the movie was deliberating each day whether or not to catch the bus. Oh it was an actual bus possibly lead to a jumping location, there is even a poster for the movie in that thread. I can't find it now but it was an old thread.