Language: en
Meaning: (journalism,idiomatic,oftenuncountable)A phrase often used infillerstoryheadlines inprint newspapers, prior to the adoption of computer-aidedtypesettingand publishing methods, as it filled out the usual width of a column in the eight-column layout then prevalent in the industry.1935January, “BUS PLUNGEINJURES SIX FROM NEW YORK; Vehicle Goes Over High Embankment in 'the Narrows' at Lewistown, Pa.”, inThe New York Times[1](newspaper), New York, N.Y.:The New York Times Company,→ISSN,→OCLC, retrieved30 September 2024, page 52006November, Jack Shafer, “The Rise and Fall of the “Bus Plunge” Story”, inSlate[2],The Slate Group, archived fromthe originalon25 June 2024:“One of them said to me, ‘We’re keeping up thebus plungesin your absence,’ or words to that effect,” says Siegal. Bus plunges had become aninside joke, with editors scouting thewires for new ones.2012October, George Patrick, “Why Buses Always Plunge But Never Fall, Drop, Descend Or Plummet”, inJalopnik[3],G/O Media, archived fromthe originalon29 August 2024:Here's the thing about newspapers: they can't publish blank space. You've gotta put something in there. So editors started putting in lots of "bus plunge"briefsbecause they were short, simple, and filled space easily.(often followed by "story")A specific instance of such a story.We ran abus plungestory on page 6 to fill the empty space so we could make deadline.(In journalism contexts, the omission of an article such as "the" before "deadline" is idiomatic.)(by extension)A similar example in other media of a filler story.; Used other than figuratively or idiomatically:seebus,plunge.An instance of a bus falling from an elevated place.
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