Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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More trouble with words
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 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.
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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Actually vacant describes my mind quite well, some times.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6364
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Vacation:
I am sure you already looked up it's definition, however, google has many definitions of "VACATION", and the word can be used as either a noun or a
verb, which either way means almost the same thing.
The Merriam dictionary defines it as a respite time, while the Oxford dictionary prefers to term the word as a fixed holiday period between terms at
the University.
I prefer the word to mean staying for an extended period of time in La Ribera or Bahia Asunción.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pescador
Actually vacant describes my mind quite well, some times. |
Yes, when I'm on a vacation my mind is vacant.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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In a resort area, we used to define it as when a worker was allowed to escape for a period of time.
They would run home. Pack everything from the house into the car. Snap their fingers.
Run back into the house and grab the kids. Get the car keys, drive off then return.
Shut off the lights and water.
Throw their brains in a closet.
Then drive off.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Udo, others, stoppit! Don't go searching. I can do that. It does no good (on a word that doesn't work for us) to know the word was derived from Urdu
when it meant "To throw up all of one's fish stew".
Make one up. I'll try one: no more vacation. Now it's "Runinplay". As in "Why is Bob not at his desk here at the office?" "He's on runinplay" or "I
just called Helen and she's not at home" "No, she's on rininplay in Barcelona, etc. etc. etc.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Vacation? It's a good trip! Enjoy!
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Oso
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2637
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: on da border
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Mood: wait and see
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R&R (Rest and relaxation or recreation is a better term.
A lot of George Carlin;s routines were devoted to quirks in the English language. I remember when he pointed out the error of the term "take a s**t".
Who wants to TAKE a s**t? We want to LEAVE a s**t.
All my childhood I wanted to be older. Now I\'m older and this chitn sucks.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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I could give a s**t!
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Marinero
Nomad
Posts: 419
Registered: 11-4-2003
Location: Los Barriles, BCS
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vacation
I love Cypress's post. But for those who do, I think of my Baja place as "my Mexico house". Lately, it seems to be "Home".
Si estás buscando la person que cambiará su vida, échale una mirada en el espejo.
Fish logo from www.usafishing.com, used w/permission.
But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
That he didn't, didn't already have..... |
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