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throw under the bus

throw under the bus

Date: Oct 15 2009

Themes: Fashion

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

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“The designers do get into fights sometimes. They throw each other under the bus a lot.”

- Super-model Heidi Klum, talking about the contestants on her reality show, Project Runway. (US Weekly)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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blame someone, get someone in trouble

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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It would be pretty shocking to see someone get thrown under a bus on TV. But Heidi Klum says it happens all the time on her reality show, Project Runway.

On Heidi’s show, people who want to become fashion designers compete to see who can make the best clothes. Each week, the designers have a different challenge, like making a wedding gown for a picky bride or transforming a pile of garbage into a chic outfit. At the end of each show, Heidi and the other judges compare the results and decide who wins and loses.

None of the contestants want to lose, so sometimes they’ll make negative comments about the other designers, or do anything else they can to make themselves look good and their competitors look bad. They’ll throw anyone under the bus if it will help them win.

The expression throw someone under the bus comes from sports. Coaches often tell their athletes, “You’re either on the bus or under it.” This means that all the players need to work together as a team in order to be the best that they can be. But some athletes don’t want to just be part of a team, they want to be stars. They might throw a teammate under the bus if it would help them achieve the fame and glory they desire.

Has anyone ever thrown you under the bus? Would you throw a friend under the bus if it would help you get ahead in life?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

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“I can’t believe you’re going to throw me under the bus after all I’ve done for you.”

“He wants the job so bad that he’ll throw anyone under the bus to get it.”

“If we get caught, you can blame me. I’d rather get in trouble than throw a friend under the bus.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

VOLTS it refers to betray someone.
by VOLTSSuper Member!
old yeller to betray each other
by old yeller
to sacrifice; to treat as a scapegoat; to betray
by prakash.fca
_Sasha_ it means to treat smb as a scapegoat; to betray; to sacrifice;
by _Sasha_

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Comments

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NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

I do not like to be throw under a bus.

05:12 PM Nov 04 2015 |

ali mehar

Pakistan

acully main pakistan se hoon main chatha hoon ke pura pakistan parkah likah ho and plz help me in my this misson thnx

12:55 PM Oct 21 2009 |

allan25

allan25

China

it is bad ,but so many people do it~

09:39 AM Oct 20 2009 |

pakman

pakman

United States

I see a lot of answers and comments, but sadly I don't think any of them are entirely correct.  The slang saying "to throw someone under the bus" is a type of betrayal, but it is not just betrayal, that is not a good definition.  It's like saying the definition of blue is a color (what kind of color is it?).  "Throwing someone under the bus" is a phrase people use for putting all of the blame on someone, rightfully, or commonly, not so.  When you throw someone under the bus you redirect blame from you to someone else, absolving yourself. 

08:22 PM Oct 19 2009 |

zeinabou

zeinabou

Egypt

We use another slang for the same meaning{push you from my way}

04:39 PM Oct 19 2009 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

it `s very unfair behavior .

04:20 PM Oct 19 2009 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 i think in the real world everyone want to go ahead

so they do anything to help them get ahead in life

.they throw each other under the bus.
  it `s not good behavior .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

03:44 PM Oct 19 2009 |

402342363

China

it's very fantastic,i would like to make sentence ,if someone is desiring the first place in the game,he shoud treat it fairly instead of throw someone under the bus

06:26 AM Oct 19 2009 |

merganius

Viet Nam

Why is the bus mentioned here? As far as I'm concerned, bus is a popular transportation in the US and they use this subject as a component to make this slang.

03:42 AM Oct 19 2009 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 i think in the world .every one wants to be success. so they do anything to

 help them get ahead in life.   

  but it `s very bad manner.

07:00 PM Oct 18 2009 |

jacky2k

jacky2k

Taiwan

Throw any one under the bus is not good behavior. I don't like this bad situation.

12:10 PM Oct 18 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

hummm so "throw someone under the bus" it means "take advantage of a situation in your favor"...Bad character people do it! ok ok,you can be smart and not be bad-character ;)

03:02 PM Oct 17 2009 |

Ezequiel Franesi

Brazil

Is it ok to throw some -the majority, actually, of our politicians under the bus?

02:42 PM Oct 17 2009 |

I.A.S

I.A.S

Yemen

hi

it is not good to throw others under the bus.

I think if some people do this others have to advise them.

12:56 PM Oct 17 2009 |

honey666

Bahrain

hiiii sweetie I hope to be friende and enjoy in chatting if you can honeyFoot in mouth

11:34 AM Oct 17 2009 |

yellowbelle

United Arab Emirates

Throwing someone under the bus especially a dear friend is such an unjust act. We should be considerate of the friendship and link that's been built up.

06:42 AM Oct 17 2009 |

M*i*N*t*o*O*s*

Egypt

hey you went to by my ferends

01:55 PM Oct 16 2009 |

Steven Xie

China

English language is vivid in describing things.I will never throw someone under the bus

09:42 AM Oct 16 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

I don't think I can do this.

03:27 AM Oct 16 2009 |

Gebing

Gebing

China

never, I will never try to use this way or even think in this way. But I do experience this before. It's terrible.

02:57 AM Oct 16 2009 |

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