Breaking something forcefully or engaging in energetic activity. Can also mean arresting someone in informal contexts.
From Middle English 'busten' meaning to break or burst, ultimately from Old Norse 'bresta'. The slang meaning of arrest developed in American English around the 1930s from the idea of 'breaking up' criminal activity.
The word 'busting' perfectly captures how language evolves through metaphor - from the physical act of breaking things, it expanded to mean breaking up parties, breaking criminal rings, and even just working really hard (as in 'busting your chops'). It's fascinating how one concept of forceful action can branch into so many different contexts.
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