throw under the bus

T

throw under the bus (informal, idiom)
/θroʊ ˈʌndɚ ðə bʌs/

Meaning

• Sacrifice someone else to avoid blame or protect oneself, often in a deceitful or disloyal way.
• Betray a person, especially a friend or ally, to gain personal advantage or to shift responsibility.
• Expose someone to criticism or danger, typically to save oneself or to align with others.
• Abandon a person in a difficult situation in order to appear innocent or to maintain one’s own reputation.
• Shift the consequences of a mistake or failure onto another person, usually unfairly and unexpectedly.

Example Sentences

1. When the project failed, Lisa threw Mark under the bus to save her job.
2. During the interview, he threw his teammate under the bus to explain the missed deadline.
3. She threw him under the bus by blaming him for the lost files, even though it was her fault.
4. Instead of standing by his friend, Jake threw him under the bus to impress the manager.
5. The politician threw his aide under the bus to escape public backlash.

Synonyms

1. betray; abandon; sacrifice; blame; expose; scapegoat; double-cross
2. stab in the back
3. sell out
4. feed to the wolves
5. leave in the lurch
6. hang out to dry
7. pass the buck
8. throw to the dogs
9. throw to the wolves

Variants

• shove under the bus
• push under the bus
• toss under the bus
• throw someone beneath the bus
• be thrown under the bus
• get thrown under the bus

Origin and History

The idiom “throw under the bus” is commonly understood to mean betraying or sacrificing someone, especially a friend or ally, for personal gain or to avoid blame. Its vivid imagery suggests a deliberate act of pushing someone into harm’s way to protect oneself. The phrase’s exact origins are somewhat elusive, but various theories and documented usages provide insight into its development and popularization.

Early British Usage and Political Context

The phrase is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom during the late 1970s or early 1980s. The earliest known printed reference appears in a 1982 article by journalist Julian Critchley in The Times (London), where he wrote:​

“President Galtieri had pushed her under the bus which the gossips had said was the only means of her removal.”

This usage indicates that the metaphor was already in circulation within British political discourse at that time.​

Predecessor Expressions and Evolution

Prior to the specific phrasing of “throw under the bus,” similar expressions were in use. For instance, the phrase “fall under a bus” was employed metaphorically to discuss sudden misfortune or removal from a position. An example from The Spectator in 1971 illustrates this:

“There is an amusing little parlour game much favoured by politicians. It is called ‘Let’s kill the Leader,’ and, when played by Labour loyalists, it begins ‘Supposing Harold Wilson were to go under a bus…'”

This suggests that the imagery of a bus as an agent of sudden demise was already embedded in political language, setting the stage for the later idiom.​

Transition to American Vernacular

The expression crossed over to American English in the subsequent years, gaining traction particularly in political and corporate environments. By the early 2000s, it had become a staple in American media. Notably, during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, the phrase was frequently used to describe political maneuvering, further cementing its place in the American lexicon.

Alternative Theories and Misattributions

There have been various theories about the origin of “throw under the bus.” Some have speculated connections to sports, particularly soccer or baseball, suggesting that the phrase might have emerged from these contexts. However, concrete evidence supporting these claims is lacking. Additionally, singer Cyndi Lauper has been mistakenly credited with popularizing the phrase in a 1984 interview. In reality, the journalist David Remnick used the expression in an article about Lauper, but it was not attributed to her.

Figurative Imagery and Related Expressions

The potency of the idiom lies in its stark imagery—betraying someone by pushing them into the path of an oncoming bus symbolizes a harsh and deliberate act of sacrifice. This aligns with other expressions like “throw to the wolves” or “throw to the dogs,” which similarly convey the act of sacrificing someone to save oneself.

Betrayal