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busman

busman

2 5.5
A man who drives a bus as his job
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌsˌmæn/
  • UK
translation icon : conductor de autobús

Examples

  • You fellas are on a real busman's holiday, aren't ya?

  • When he knows that he is not going to review the piece, if he is on a busman's holiday, his mind is tinged to some degree by the fact that he is off duty.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • They owned a restaurant and belatedly realized they'd signed up for a busman's holiday.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • ♪ Look out, babe ♪ ♪ I'm in a dangerous mood ♪ ♪ Look out, baby ♪ ♪ I'm in a dangerous mood ♪ ♪ I done called up the busman ♪ ♪ Told him where to go and just what to do ?

  • Any television critic who has done the job long enough certainly has considered writing a book (and, of course, some have), but for those of us too weary or lacking discipline, it's a busman's holiday better left to someone else.

    Blog text (4)
  • Not given to existential crises, such guys tend to proceed through their work years with an unselfconscious gusto that can make life seem like a busman's holiday.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The busman expertly navigated the busy streets during rush hour.

  • After a long day of driving, the busman finally finished his shift and returned home.

  • The busman greeted each passenger with a smile as they boarded the bus.

Synonyms

driver
vsbusman
1.0

A person who controls a car or bus

applies only to one kind of public transport vehicle
bus driver
vsbusman
66 1.0

A person who takes people around by bus

is specifically male rather than a gender neutral person

How Senior

driver
1.0
busman
  • UK
2 5.5

Surface Forms

busman singular
busmen plural

Morphology

busman = bus + man (transparent) = bus + man

The meaning is a straightforward compound 'bus' + 'man' meaning a man whose job involves buses (driver).

Etymology

Busman is simply bus plus man. Bus is short for omnibus, a word that meant 'for everyone' and comes from Latin omnis meaning 'all'. So a busman is literally the 'man' who works on a bus, usually the driver.