BUS SLANG THAT HAS ENDURED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 24 September 1918, Page 9

BUS SLANG THAT HAS ENDURED

.' Speaking of the street cars of former days, an.American paper writes about features of them'which will be familiar to people who have travelled in the omnibuses. In the bob-tail car "(says the paper, one "passed" one's fare, or, rather, others passed one's fare, to a slot-in a glass-encased box, wliich"'tho' driver of the horso or mule was expected to watch, apparently with ejP3 in • tho back of his head. When tho faro tarried he kicked a.gong that sounded like a call for dinner at one of the hotels of the period. If the fare still lingered, ;he kicked again. Hence the familiar question, "What is ho kicking'about?" In the Concord bus, which preceded tho "bob-tail," the driver had a strap fastened around his leg. This strap -.extended to tho door, which he closed by n. movement of the leg. When a passenger did not have tho exact fare, tho other "passengers "passed" up what he had. If tho-change faltered on the x way back Hho passenger in question pulled tho strap which pulled the driver's leg. If the change still lingered the driver's leg was pulled again, and the pulling continued until the driver responded. Here we have tho origin of another familiar expression.