The word “bus” can be used in a few ways: The noun can be a public transportation vehicle, and the verb can refer to how that vehicle moves people around the city, or it can apply to what happens at a restaurant. People get bused around the city on a bus. A busser works in a restaurant, busing tables.
Both uses of “bus” — restaurant and vehicular — trace back to the Latin omnibus, translated literally as “for all.” Today, the English version of “omnibus” as an adjective means “of, relating to, or providing for many things at once.” In either Latin or English, it relates to restaurant bussers as they boast a versatile skillset that makes them the Swiss Army knife of any restaurant staff. Indeed, bussers are the lifeblood of many restaurants, helping to restock shelves, clear tables, run food, and support operations in whatever way they can.
When modern bussers appeared in restaurants around the late 19th century, they were called “omnibus boys,” which described these male restaurant employees with many duties. That was quite a mouthful, and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was shortened to “busboy” by 1904, and calling them “omnibus boys” became rarer over time. “Busboy” eventually made way for the gender-neutral “busser” by the 1970s, although “busboy” is still commonly used.
The reason we say “busing a table” has to do with the multitude of tasks assigned to the profession. Though it’s not common phrasing, you could say “busing the floors” or “busing the bar,” as they all relate to the duties of your average busser.
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