It's not bloody half term!

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Why / when did every school holiday become half term?

The half term holidays are February, Whitsun and October, not Easter, Christmas and thr summer.

People keep saying "Happy half term" or "Enjoy the half term" etc. Why is this an accepted thing?

Here, the February, May and October holidays are not (or should not be) called half term either. There are 6 terms, not 3 terms with a half term break in between.

It annoys me no end too!! It's the Easter holidays! The spring term has ended; the Summer term will begin after the holidays. Glad it's not just me getting wound up by it 😂

I am guilty of this. It sounds insane written down but honest to God: I cannot remember. I can't remember if we are in the middle of a term that runs from Feb - June or whether we are at the end of term. I'm very tired and stressed. I do know it's Easter though, and if it really matters I stop and make sure I get it right. I'd like to think that if I had to write it down for work I'd get it right !

Oh my luv, I hope you didn’t get that from my post, where I say those who call it half term are thick and ignorant. I was being sarcastic, probably should have put a little winky face at the end. Reading it back, it actually reads like I meant it.

Really does not matter what it’s called in the slightest. As you say, people have far more important things going on x

Huh, that’s weird. It isn’t a thing where I live. Half terms are what you get between holidays.

There's actually good precedent for this. It's a form of hyperbole, like "perfect" or "starving" when something is merely very good or someone is merely very hungry. "Literally" when used in "literally starving" just adds to be hyperbole. It's like how we use "totally", "completely" and "absolutely" in e.g. totally confused, completely exhausted, absolutely furious. In the vast majority of cases where these terms are used, you are not as confused, exhausted or furious as you possibly could be - it's a bit of hyperbole for effect. When it matters and if challenged, people readily go back on figurative uses of literally, just as they do for all hyperbole. That shows that figurative uses of literally are not mistakes, they're just language for effect.

I hear people complain a lot about this on here, every Easter. But I have never heard anyone in real life call the Easter Holiday 'half term.' Do people actually say this? What did they call half term then??? (The one in February?)

I just want to know (as a childless adult) when are the children actually in school!

There is NO hope for the planet if you're a TEACHER, and YOU call the Easter holiday 'half term' @DespairAgony 😆😂

(I am joking!)

No end of May half term in Scotland. So if someone said half term I would just ask them when they were going on holiday.

If people are so easily confused by others holidays and it matters so much they can just ask follow up questions sure.

Heaven forbid we should name a Christian festival in the educational calendar.

I dislike it too but I’m probably a fuddy duddy

I have a thread in the Pedants Corner about this if you want to join! Lol

They’re at school for 39 weeks of the year. Plenty of opportunity for you to do things/go to places without pesky children around!

Agree, I find it very annoying.
There are three school terms, so three half term holidays and three bigger holidays at the end of each term (summer, Christmas, Easter). It’s not hard, people!

The other 75% of the year.

Some people just call EVERY school holiday half term!

I’m a teacher and I have even heard this from other teachers. It’s so annoying and makes no sense. Half term holidays are the holidays half way through the term. The clue is in the name.

Just ignore it 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yup!

YES! When did this become a thing? I’ve noticed it more and more lately.

The whole country has gone to the dogs.

It really annoys me too, but I bite my tongue and don't correct anyone!

I call all school holidays (except the 6 weeks in the summer) half term, not really thought about why but everyone knows what it means. But I also call my vacuum cleaner a Hoover when it’s not that brand and no-one seems to care about that as much 🤷🏻‍♀️

It doesn't bother me in the slightest. Call it what you want.

The difference is if you’re talking about your hoover, everyone knows what you mean. If eg at the beginning of March you told someone you’re going to Cornwall in half term they may reasonably assume you mean the May half term (because that’s the next holiday that’s actually half way through the term) when what you actually meant was the Easter holidays. But you said half term, which lead to confusion.