DCHP-3

bundle buggy

DCHP-3 (Mar 2024)

Spelling variants:
bundle-buggy, Bundle Buggy

n.

a wheeled cart for taking purchases home from shops.

Type: 5. Frequency — As can be seen in Chart 1, bundle buggy is a Canadianism by virtue of frequency. The term seems to have gained currency in the 1930s. The 1942 quotation is preceded by a 1928 comic headline, in which reference is made to a bundle buggy in the context of street sales (see the 1928 quotation).
In COD-2 s.v. "bundle buggy" is described as "a two-wheeled collapsible cart used for shopping etc."; it is also listed in CGCPD-2006; however, in ITP Nelson this meaning is listed as, s.v. "buggy", def. 4, defined as "A shopping cart, esp. for groceries"; it is not listed in CCD-2010, and Gage-5.
The term is listed in OED-3 as North American but described as "(in later use, chiefly Canadian)" (OED, s.v. "bundle buggy").
The term is not listed in W-2 and W-3, DARE, and Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
The common term in the US is shopping cart, in the UK it is shopping trolley.

Quotations

1928
BUNDLE BUGGY USED IN "SALESMAN SAM - Good-bye Bundle Buggy." [a comic strip featuring the term in the title. Although it may not be referring to a shopping cart, there is evidence of the terms usage in a different context as "buggy" is written across a balloon in the first panel] Tough luck just tags me around -- but if I hurry up and land mebbe I can find th' grip o'dough that fell outta th' blimp.
1942
Forbes Magazine reports that one answer to shopping without an auto is the "bundle buggy." A deep wooden box on wheels, which is pushed like a baby carriage.
1944
Here's how... to shop on a quantitative scale with nary a worry about taxing your armful capacity. A bundle-buggy is your answer, one of these neatly constructed wooden racks equipped with wheels and handlebar.
1951
Save time, effort and money, by investing NOW in a sturdy bundle buggy that will help to make shopping a more pleasant experience. Has rubber tires that wheel freely, and a roomy basket which holds a large amount of groceries, laundry, etc. Basket is collapsible for storing.
1979
Over the hum of the ferry's motor, the half-dozen other commuters, all cocooned in their down ski jackets and scarves (islanders don't dress like city people), seemed to know what was coming. And then I realized that my bundle buggy had punctured a hole in the paint can I'd just bought and it was making this line down the road as I walked along.
1983
Bundle-Buggy BoogieWell, way up northOn a fine bright day,A bundle-buggy boogiedAt the break of day.It did the boogie-woogie here,It did the boogie-woogie there,It did the bundle-buggy boogieEv-er-y-where.
2005
Cutting across the rail line is simple and saves time if you are old or ill or in a hurry, or if you have a lot of groceries in your bundle buggy.
2020
A shopping cart that rolls, sometimes called a 'bundle buggy' can help make your walk to and from the store easier. By removing the need to carry bags, your back, neck, and shoulders might feel less strain.
2024
Please bring something to help carry your groceries home, such as a bundle buggy, wagon, cart or sturdy grocery bags.
2024
Bundle Buggy is defined as a bag on wheels with an extendable handle, owned by the customer, usually used for the purpose of grocery shopping. Bundle buggies must be no larger than 14-1/4 inches x 17-1/4 inches x 23-1/2 inches (36 x 44 x 60 cm) with a maximum handle height of 39-1/4 inches (100 cm).

References

  • COD-2
  • DARE
  • ITP Nelson
  • Gage-5
  • Merriam-Webster Unabridged
  • OED-3
  • FWSCD-82
  • W-3
  • W-2
  • CGCPD-2006
  • CCD-2010
  • EDD

Images

Image 1: <i>Bundle buggies</i> (photo: Martin Burns, Wiktionary)

Image 1: Bundle buggies (photo: Martin Burns, Wiktionary)

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 25 Apr. 2024

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 25 Apr. 2024