# What does Bugs say? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914 "2017-12-08T16:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/1 "2017-12-08T16:01:19Z")
From [“A Hare Grows in Manhattan”](http://www.b99.tv/video/hare-grows-manhattan/) at 7:10, after the dog falls into the baby buggy. Can’t quite make it out, and these things are important, you know. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/2 "2017-12-08T16:14:36Z")
[According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hare_Grows_in_Manhattan) he says “that’s ‘-30-’ for today!” [Also from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%9330%E2%80%93#Title_reference), to answer the obvious followup question, “–30– has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story.” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/3 "2017-12-08T16:24:49Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hare_Grows_in_Manhattan) he says “that’s ‘-30-’ for today!” > > [Also from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%9330%E2%80%93#Title_reference), to answer the obvious followup question, “–30– has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story.” Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/4 "2017-12-08T16:47:01Z")
“…a regular old-fashioned goil…” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/5 "2017-12-08T17:05:33Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hare_Grows_in_Manhattan) he says “that’s ‘-30-’ for today!” > > [Also from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%80%9330%E2%80%93#Title_reference), to answer the obvious followup question, “–30– has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story.” Huh. I’ve used “-30-” at the ends of stories I’ve written, but I’ve never actually heard anyone say it out loud as part of an expression. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/6 "2017-12-08T17:12:56Z")
The next follow up question: why 30? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/7 "2017-12-08T17:26:12Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > The next follow up question: why 30? I’m not sure the origins have been definitively settled. I believe in journalism school they told us that it came from “XXX” at the end of a story being part of some telegraph code. But [there’s a number of possible origin stories](http://archive.saila.com/journalism/thirty/). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/8 "2017-12-08T17:31:50Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “…a regular old-fashioned goil…” “Look- I’m dancing!” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/9 "2017-12-09T16:07:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not sure the origins have been definitively settled. I believe in journalism school they told us that it came from “XXX” at the end of a story being part of some telegraph code. But [there’s a number of possible origin stories](http://archive.saila.com/journalism/thirty/). Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/10 "2017-12-09T17:30:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. I’ve used “-30-” at the ends of stories I’ve written, but I’ve never actually heard anyone say it out loud as part of an expression. > **[\-30- (1959) ⭐ 6.6 | Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052526/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_14)** > > 1h 36m | Not Rated I vaguely recall “30” being the last line of this flick. And just to add: “-30-” is used to signify “the end” or “over and out”; it originates from several code tables for telegraph operators. It is traditional in the journalism field and is still used to indicate the end of transmitted news stories and press releases and can frequently be found in formal corporate documents posted on websites and delivered electronically or via print." I also recall hearing it used in _Chicago Syndicate_ (1955) which I watched earlier this week. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-bugs-say/803914/11 "2017-12-09T20:38:44Z")
I always thought it meant that that was the thirtieth dog he had put into a baby buggy that day.