Where does “bus plunge” come from?

bus plunge (English) comes from English bus, from English omnibus, from French omnibus, from Latin omnibus, from Latin omnis, from Proto-Italic opnis, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ep-ni-s, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ep- — to work, toil, make; ability, force.

bus plunge (English): 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

Definitions

  1. 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

Ancestry of “bus plunge”, step by step

bus plunge traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English bus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbusA motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of...
2EnglishomnibusA vehicle set up to carry many people; An...
3FrenchomnibusPertaining to a local; omnibus, bus
4Latinomnibusdative masculine plural of omnis; dative feminine...
5Latinomnisevery; all
6Proto-Italicopnisevery, all
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ep-ni-sworking
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ep-to work, toil, make; ability, force

via English plunge

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplungeTo thrust into liquid, or into any penetrable...
2Middle Englishplungen
3Old FrenchplungierAlternative form of plongier
4Old Frenchplongierto dive; to plunge; to press in; to push in; to...
5Latinplumbicare
6Latinplumbumlead; ball of lead; pipe of lead
7Ancient Greekμόλυβδοςlead; graphite
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmorkʷ-iyo-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ep-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ep-ni-sEvery word from Proto-Italic opnis