'Vacationing' - a verbism?

[Annihilannic]

I regularly click on this click-to-donate site, and I emailed them to point out that "vacation" is a noun, not a verb:

However it was ignored. Might that be because it's actually common usage on the leftmost continents?

Annihilannic.

 

[CajunCenturion]

The online Oxford dictionary shows vacation to be both a noun and a verb.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1303339#m_en_us1303339

It also shows holiday to be both a noun and a verb.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1255333#m_en_us1255333

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[Annihilannic]

Well, there you go! Still sounds wrong to me, but I sit corrected, thanks! And, unfortunately, not on vacation.

Annihilannic.

 

[Thargy]

But vacation is definitely from your side of the pond, we nearly always say "holiday". However, just to confuse those hapless folk trying to learn the language, I have noticed the "happy holidays" salutation from merkins during the festive season.

Regards

T

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> But vacation is definitely from your side of the pond
That's true, which is why I included holiday as also being both a noun and a verb.

It's been a while since I've been in the UK, but if I remember correctly, you consider Saturday and Sunday, which we consider weekends, as also holiday? Do I remember that correctly? I guess what I asking, is that while we distinguish between vacation and weekends, you consider them both holidays. Is that correct?


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[traingamer]

I've been vacationing in Mexico or the Outer Banks for years. (And using that phrase for just as long.)

Greg
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. Kierkegaard

 

[FredWagner]

CajunCenturion -
I think we distinguish weekends as days we don't have to work as part of our regular schedule, where Vacation days or holidays are exceptions to the Monday-Friday work week. Holidays we don't have to request, and normally extend the weekend, where Vacation Days we do have to request or coordinate.
I wonder how much this differs in UK or other places separated by our common language ?

Fred Wagner

 

[BadBigBen]

Tharg,

I have noticed the "happy holidays" salutation from merkins during the festive season.

I guess you'd call them Happy Bank Holidays...

but I love the 'substitute day' scheme, that when a bank holiday falls on a weekend, it is moved to a work day. I wish that they had something like this in Germany...



Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[Annihilannic]

Typically I would refer to time off work as "leave" rather than "holiday" or "vacation". In fact I don't use "vacation" at all really...

A "holiday" to me generally means going away somewhere special.

"Happy Holidays" seems to be an almost exclusively 'Merkin' (do you know what that word really means when used as a noun, by the way? ;-)) version of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" that the Queen's subjects would typically use.

While I am also (somewhat reluctantly) one of the Queen's subjects, I am of the antipodean variety.

Annihilannic.

 

[BadBigBen]

Annihilannic,

I am of the antipodean variety.

I didn't know that you had no feet or are they opposite, your left is where our right foot would be... ;-)



Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[Thargy]

Ah,

sounds like after quaffing a firkin, and removin' the source of the itchin', the "lady" required a merkin.

Having browsed some, George bush is homophonally on record as saying he's a 'merkin' citizen.

Regards

T

 

[KenCunningham]

Cajun, if it helps (and it probably doesn't) I've never heard weekends referred to as 'holiday' over here in the UK. We use 'weekend' in the main and the French liked it so much they borrowed it too!

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[CajunCenturion]

Thanks, Ken

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[Annihilannic]

BBB, close, I think it's more a case of my feet being where my head should be!

Annihilannic.