Language: en
Meaning: (idiomatic)Aholidayorvacationduring which one does somethingsimilarto what one does aswork.[from late 19th c.]1893April,Albert Chevalier, “On Costers and Music Halls”, inClement Kinloch-Cooke, editor,The English Illustrated Magazine, volume X, number115, London:The Illustrated London News,→OCLC,page488, column 2:I shall indeed take a holiday soon, probably on the Continent; but it will be a "Busman's Holiday." The bus-driver spends his "day off" in driving on a pal's bus, on the box-seat by his pal's side; and I know that night after night, all through my holiday, I shall be in and out of this hall and that theatre, never happy except when I am watching some theatrical piece or Variety entertainment.The author was an English music hall performer. This is the earliest attestation of the term listed in theOxford English Dictionary.1914August 7, “Things One would Like to Know”, inThe Surveyor and Municipal and County Engineer, volume XLVI, number1,177, London: The St. Bride’s Press,[…],→OCLC,page196, column 2:Is not the following a rather notable instance of "thebusman's holiday"? At a recent meeting of the Twickenham Education Committee Mr. F. W. Pearce, who is surveyor to that body as well as to the urban district council, was asked what progress had been made with regard to the affixing of tablets on historic houses in the district. To this Mr. Pearce replied that he felt responsible for any delay in the matter, but would devote to it the first week of his holiday!1933October, John Galsworthy, chapter XVI, inOver the River, London:William Heinemann,→OCLC,page123:In his[a private detective's]opinion one of the chief defects in detective stories—for he was given tobusmen's holidays—was that authors made their 'sleuths' like unto the angels, watching for days without, so to speak, taking their eye off the ball. It was not so in real life.1968March–April, Samuel Young, “Cervinia”, in Doug Pfeiffer, editor,Skiing, volume20, number 6, Chicago, Ill.:Ziff-Davis Publishing Company,→ISSN,page51, column 1:Cervinia is a Mecca for the skiing greats of the world. When the season is over at home—even as long a season as at Colorado's Snowmass—the pros take theirbusmen's holidayson the sunny slopes of the Plateau Rosa.1969, George G. Bruntz, John Bremer, “The Federal Court System”, inAmerican Government,[Boston, Mass.]:Ginn and Company,→OCLC, unit V (Our Federal Courts Protect Our Liberty),page252, column 2:While it would seem that the judges have a long vacation each year, they actually have a sort of "busman's holiday" in that they take their "homework" with them. They study applications for review during the summer recess.1994, Diane Heilenman, “Plant Sources”, inGardening in the Lower Midwest: A Practical Guide for the New Zones 5 and 6, Bloomington; Indianapolis, Ind.:Indiana University Press,→ISBN,page114:Although it is in the nature of abusman's holiday, I always try to visit a nursery and a botanic garden when I'm traveling.2008,A[lexander] B[rian] McKillop, “The Drop on This World”, inPierre Berton: A Biography, Toronto, Ont.:McClelland & Stewart,→ISBN, part 3 (Celebrity),page367:When he[Pierre Berton]first joined the[Toronto]Star, he had requested an annual five-week holiday.Beland Honderichagreed, but suggested that two of the weeks should be "disguised as an assignment." As a result, Berton's travels produced several multi-part series of columns andClose-Upinterviews. Janet[Berton]accompanied him on thesebusman's holidayswhenever circumstances permitted.2015,Michael Bamberger,Men in Green, New York, N.Y.:Simon & Schuster,→ISBN,page254:I have come to realize that thebusman's holidayis an elemental part of my life. Actually, I don't know where my work life stops and my recreational life begins.
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