Osprey
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Fighting words
Some old words fight back and have been able to resist change, NO MATTER WHAT.
A Poor Choice of Words
I was thinking about a common English term we all know and love that if examined makes little sense. It was my intention to explain this rarity by
having an imaginary conversation with someone who does not speak English. The word is so poorly coined that the little trick will not be necessary –
I will try to explain the concept to you, in English.
The word is Vacation. I don’t have to look that word up to remind you it is derived from the word Vacate. So, in simple terms when you go on
vacation, you vacate something, somewhere. We rarely go on to bother to say where and what we have vacated. I suppose it is implied that we have
vacated our homes and perhaps our workplace.
I’m not sure that we always leave our homes and workspaces vacant and the listener can only guess that the places will only be temporarily vacant
– that we will surely return in a week or a month or sometime before the first snow.
We get in deeper trouble with the word when we say “We’re going to our vacation home in Aruba.” A vacation home is where you stay when your
regular home is vacant. You have to guess that when you go on vacation, you do not vacate your vacation home, you move in, fill it up for a short
time.
It doesn’t help to tell people it is “A paid vacation.” That implies someone, somewhere is paying you to leave your home, leave your workplace
vacant.
It seems odd to me that many Americans consider The American Dream to be that time that you and your family can own a home of your own where you all
can have a safe, comfortable haven to enjoy after a hard day’s work and yet they celebrate with great jubilation the day when they can vacate the
place, leave it behind for a tent beside a mountain stream.
It is odder still that resorts, travel companies, hotels and motels the world over advertise with the most carefully chosen words to lure you to spend
your time and money with them except the pitch invariably starts with “Vacation Special” or “Family Vacation Packages”.
In summary, I think we can do a lot better and one of these days, when I have the time, I’ll find a nice replacement word for all of us.
Attachment: A Poor Choice of Words.doc (24kB)
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bajabuddha
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It left me with a vacant stare....
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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SFandH
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I know a house painter that calls a missed spot a "holiday".
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AKgringo
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Well Europeans "go on holiday",but that seems a little too much like "holy day", and that doesn't jive with my idea of an enjoyable vacation!
Since we will be "absent" from our local routine, maybe we are going on "absentia"?
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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DanO
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Instead of "vacationing," I've used the term "refueling," but these days, maybe "rebooting" is more apt.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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David K
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I look forward to see your new word, Jorge!
Going to Baja (on vacation) was (for me) a recharge of my life's battery!
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sancho
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Quote: Originally posted by Osprey  |
that many Americans consider The American Dream to be that time that you and your family can own a home of your own where you all can have a safe,
comfortable haven to enjoy after a hard day’s work and yet they celebrate with great jubilation the day when they can vacate the place, leave it
behind for a tent beside a mountain stream.
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Leaving a house to go camp in the dirt, while paying for the
privilege, would be difficult to explain to most. The American
dream, at least where I am, has all but up and vanished,
unless one has a parent with very deep pockets, kids are
destined to spend way into the future, time at home
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Alm
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| Quote: Originally posted by sancho |
Leaving a house to go camp in the dirt, while paying for the
privilege, would be difficult to explain to most. The American
dream, at least where I am, has all but up and vanished,
unless one has a parent with very deep pockets, |
Yes, and yes.
Living away from civilization and people in general is what matters, on such trips.
American dream as a comfortable own home (i.e. house) is no more. Where I live, the very meaning of the word "home" has been lost. Now a "home" is
2-bdr townhouse where you share the stairway with neighbors, without backyard or your own garage. Basically a 2nd floor apartment with no elevator
(yes, the 1st floor is another "home"). When this kind of home costs half a million, young family needs 150K downpayment to even qualify for mortgage.
Comfort is not a criterion any more. Be happy that you won't see what it will come to.
[Edited on 7-26-2018 by Alm]
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BajaBlanca
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So, our life seems like a permanent vacation...need a good word to cover that!
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pauldavidmena
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"Family Vacation" often seems to be the ultimate oxym0r0n, unless by "vacate" one means "take leave of one's senses".
[Edited on 7-27-2018 by pauldavidmena]
[Edited on 7-27-2018 by pauldavidmena]
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pauldavidmena
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Apparently the auto-correct for this site doesn't like the word "o-x-y-m-o-r-o-n", so I edited it to use zeros instead of the offensive "o".
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Udo
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Hola, Jorge!!
I am glad to see that you have returned to your writing ways, here on Nomad. Surely that is a way to vacate from your current illness, which has had
no impact on your writing style or desire.
I am sure that putting words on paper (or computer) will keep your mind well occupied.
It is apparent that you have not lost a step. You have gained another foothold in life!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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billklaser
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"Success" comes to mind.
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Skipjack Joe
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Osprey,
It's interesting how much effort and care you put into choosing the right word(s). Me? I just use them. I've always felt the thought was all that
really mattered. But, I suppose that to be a writer you have to love the written word.
Image making is something like that. I paid little attention to color for years, placing all my attention to composition. The colors were always there
but they just came along for the ride. Then I read about the emotions brought out by various colors and combination of colors. I feel it made me a
better photographer.
Now you got me thinking. "I feel it made me"? How can you feel being made anything? Is 'feel' the wrong word? Should that be rephrased?
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BajaTed
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From 10,000 ft:
The three most stressful things in life are death, divorce and family vacations
Es Todo Bueno
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