English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

First recorded in 1893 in the UK. The idea is that a busman, to go off on a holiday, would take an excursion by bus, thereby engaging in a similar activity to his work.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Audio (AU)

Noun [ edit ]

busman's holiday (plural busman's holidays)

( idiomatic ) A holiday or vacation during which one does something similar to what one does as work. 1994 , Diane Heilenman, Gardening in the Lower Midwest: A Practical Guide for the New Zones 5 and 6 , Indiana University Press (→ISBN), page 114: 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.

, Diane Heilenman, , Indiana University Press (→ISBN), page 114: 2015, Michael Bamberger, Men in Green, Simon and Schuster (→ISBN), page 254: 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.

References [ edit ]