Don’t let the bus drop below 50

Don’t let the bus drop below 50 Image

The picture of actor Keanu Reeves as real-life caveman (right) prompted this comment online the other day: "He looks like the bus dropped below 50."

I laughed – yes, out loud – and will venture many of you just did, too, at least those who recall the 1994 movie "Speed." (Others need only know that the moving, bomb-laden bus will explode if Sandra Bullock and Reeves let the speedometer fall below 50.)

My next thought: "Imagine all the possible uses for the phrase 'the bus dropped below 50.' It's a meme waiting to happen." Examples:

Apple could do no wrong until the antenna thing … and then the bus dropped below 50.

Mel Gibson in a nutshell: His bus dropped below 50.

We had the good sense to get out of the bar before the bus dropped below 50.

When a president's approval rating drops below 50, there's danger the bus won't be far behind.

Of course, once this catches on you won't really need to speak of "the bus" every time; it'll be already there in the listener's mind, dangerously decelerating toward the fateful 49.

The boss has a knack for dropping below 50 on Friday afternoons.

Nothing sends the wife below 50 faster than reminding her she's over 40.

Eventually, we'll need to go acro for texting and Twitter (#TBDB50).

Give it a try and report back.

(Update: HP CEO mark Hurd sure let the bus drop below 50.)