bum's rush

noun

Slang.

1. forcible and swift ejection from a place.

   When they began to cause a disturbance, they were given the bum's rush.

2. any rude or abrupt dismissal.

   He gave the pesky salesman the bum's rush.

bum's rush

noun

1. forcible ejection, as from a gathering

2. rapid dismissal, as of an idea

Word History and Origins

Origin of bum's rush¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

Forcible ejection, abrupt dismissal. For example, When Henry started shouting, the bouncer gave him the bum's rush, or Within hours of being fired, Alice was given the bum's rush. This idiom uses bum in the sense of “a vagrant or tramp.” [Slang; early 1900s]