Meaning of busman's holiday | Babel Free

Definitions

A holiday or vacation during which one does something similar to what one does as work.

idiomatic

Examples

“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.”

“Is not the following a rather notable instance of "the busman'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!”

“In his [a private detective's] opinion one of the chief defects in detective stories—for he was given to busmen'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.”

“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 their busmen's holidays on the sunny slopes of the Plateau Rosa.”

“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.”

“Although it is in the nature of a busman's holiday, I always try to visit a nursery and a botanic garden when I'm traveling.”

“When he [Pierre Berton] first joined the [Toronto] Star, he had requested an annual five-week holiday. Beland Honderich agreed, 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 and Close-Up interviews. Janet [Berton] accompanied him on these busman's holidays whenever circumstances permitted.”

“I have come to realize that the busman's holiday is an elemental part of my life. Actually, I don't know where my work life stops and my recreational life begins.”

CEFR level