bus plunge
A phrase often used in filler story headlines in print newspapers, prior to the adoption of computer-aided typesetting and publishing methods, as it filled out the usual width of a column in the eight-column layout then prevalent in the industry.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Editors used the bus plunge headline to fill empty space on the page.”
“The printer adds a bus plunge to fix the column length.”
“Every small bus plunge helps the editor finish the page design.”
“In the era of physical typesetting, the bus plunge was a common filler headline used to balance the columns of a newspaper.”
“The young journalist noticed that the back page featured a bus plunge because the lead story was too short for the layout.”
“Old newspapers often contain a bus plunge about a distant accident just to make the text look even on the paper.”
“While reviewing the archives, the historian explained how a bus plunge from a remote country often appeared when a local reporter failed to meet their word count.”
“Before digital publishing transformed the industry, the bus plunge served as a reliable, albeit repetitive, placeholder for typesetters struggling to justify the width of their columns.”
From bus + plunge.
- 01
drive the porcelain bus
Synonym of worship the porcelain god (“to vomit into a toilet bowl, especially while drunk or hungover”).
- 02
face like the back end of a bus
A very ugly face.
- 03
park the bus
To attempt to stop the opposition team from scoring a goal by playing extremely defensively and placing as many players as possible behind the ball.
- 04
plunge in
To start a new endeavor enthusiastically and wholeheartedly, though possibly without experience.
- 05
ride the short bus
To participate in a special education program, such as for those with learning disabilities.
- 06
take the plunge
To begin any major commitment.
Last updated August 10, 2026