Dictionary definition of “postman’s holiday”

postman’s holiday

n. a vacation or holiday spent in a pastime similar to one’s usual employment. Subjects: English, Colloquial

Editorial Note: This is a synonym for the far more common “busman’s holiday,” which dates to at least 1893. Thanks to Al Rotches for suggesting it. The first citation, which is for sheet music, is marked as uncertain for two reasons. First, there are no lyrics to confirm that the meaning we are looking for was meant. Second, the French is odd. It probably should have been “le facteur en balade,” which would mean, “the postman on a walk,” which is directly related to our understanding of this expression. However, by spelling “balade,” which means “walk,” as “ballade,” which means “ballad or lyrical poem,” perhaps a play on words was intended. Etymological Note: This expression originates from the idea that a postman or mailman walks as part of the job, so a postman taking a walk as a form of relaxation is seen as ironic.

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Citations: [*1901-1920 Ezra Read Postman’s Holiday (Le facteur en ballade) (London, United Kingdom): Postman’s Holiday (Le facteur en ballade) Ragtime] 1928 San Mateo Times and Daily News Leader (California) (Aug. 31) “Dean of Shipping” p. 10: He is still busy with his life work, which is the promotion of American shipping. He does take a vacation now and then, but it is like the postman’s holiday. He takes it on a ship. 1936 Time (July 20) “Postman’s Holiday”: Postman’s Holiday…A postman who takes a walk on his holiday is a joke. Last week the nation chuckled when it was revealed that Postmaster General James” Aloysius Farley had been granted a payless leave of absence from his Cabinet post, would spend his new leisure at politics. 1940 Philip D. Jordan Ohio History (July) “An Ohio Surgeon In Paris, 1835-1836” vol. 49, no. 3, p. 273: Wolfley devoted little time to anything outside his work. Even his sight-seeing verged on the “postman’s holiday,” for his walks usually ended at the Cluny Museum, where he examined Guillaume Dupuytren’s medical collection, or at the cemetery of Pere Lachaise or the Morgue. 1998 James B. Spencer Training Retrievers for the Marshes and Meadows (May) 2 ed., p. 160: One weekend Dave took a postman’s holiday to watch a herding dog trial.

Posted 27 Jul 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

And then there’s the Postman’s Epitaph:

My Dog Won’t Bite.

by wayne 01 Aug 07, 1034 GMT