ə ˈbʌsmənz ˈhɒlɪdeɪ
Work
neutral
advanced
- Literally:
- A holiday spent by a bus driver riding buses
What does "a busman's holiday" mean?
A vacation spent doing the same thing one does for work
Examples
- The chef spent her vacation touring restaurants — a real busman's holiday.
- For a travel writer, visiting new cities is a busman's holiday.
- The IT consultant spent his weekend fixing friends' computers — talk about a busman's holiday.
Origin
Originated in late 19th-century Britain.
How to use it
Used humorously. More common in British English.
Similar expressions
working vacation
no real break
Opposites
complete getaway
total escape
Related idioms
- hit the nail on the head
To describe exactly what is true or important
- call it a day
To stop working for the day
- have one's hands full
To be very busy with something
- learn the ropes
To learn the basics of a job or activity
- it's not rocket science
It's not difficult to understand or do
- get your act together
To organize yourself and start behaving more responsibly
Use it in a practice answer
Try "a busman's holiday" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.