"holiday" is a jeffing noun and not a verb

[hairytale]

So there. You can no more holiday than you can sofa, car or cat.

YANBU. Probably formed after the similarly gruesome US verb 'to vacation'.

Interestingly (to me) they have quite different etymologies- 'vacation' comes from 'vacare', 'to make empty', while 'holiday' comes of course from 'holy day'. Originally I guess 'vacation' was used in formal contexts, eg universities and the law courts, when it just meant the empty period when nothing was happening.

Yes, but how about the saying 'to holiday abroad'? It's perfectly acceptable IMO.

It's listed as an intransitive verb in OED with first citation being from Carlyle in 1871.

Vacation is also listed as a verb, of US origin, first citation 1896.

I didn't understand much of that I'm afraid . I get the 'verb' bit though!

Of course it's a verb!

Had you said that 'gift' was not a verb I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you!

Oh, that's interesting Edith. I would have assumed 'to vacation' came first. I still find it rather ugly, but that may just be my problem!

I think it's interesting that both (much older nouns) came into use as verbs at around the same time, which also coincided with the spreading of the railways. A time which, I think, was when holidays became much more widely available to the general population.

Ah yes - and also, industrialisation/urbanisation meant that many more people had jobs with defined hours and a holiday allowance each year (albeit a week when the machines were being overhauled or whatever). Also ties in with the growth of holiday resorts for ordinary people and the whole idea of a specific family holiday rather than just going back to see your parents every so often.

No! You take a holiday or go on holiday you do not "holiday"!

Yes you do - 'we holiday in France', 'he is holidaying in Venice' are quite acceptable uses.

elbow that's exactly what I'm saying is wrong use!

You'd hardly say "we Christmassed in Australia this year".

"Had you said that 'gift' was not a verb I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you!"

Also a verb

"elbow that's exactly what I'm saying is wrong use!"

And you're wrong - it is acceptable (if a little pretentious) to say "holidayed".

"You'd hardly say "we Christmassed in Australia this year"."

Not comparable - Christmas is a holiday, but not all holidays are Christmas; logical error.

"Had you said that 'gift' was not a verb I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you!"

Also a verb

Not in this house it isn't

Agatha Christie's characters were always 'holidaying' on the Riviera weren't they?

I've a feeling Jeeves may have holidayed as well.

And Enid Blyton's were too with smashing fruitcake

I have to confess OP, I don't know whether you are right or not!

but the question is impacting my language useage, going forward..

I have said this before, so apologies for repeating myself.

In the English language, any noun can be verbed.

In the English language, any noun can be verbed.

Hmmm, not so sure. From looking around my living room, floors can be carpeted, areas can be walled, those walls can be painted, scenes can be pictured, pictures can be framed, projects can be shelved, idiots can be lamped, etc. However, I've never known anything to be radiatored. Heat and EM can be radiated, but not radiatored. Programmes are not televisioned, either. Opinions can be argued, but not argumented.

From a quick bit of Googling, a noun can indeed be verbed if there is no existing verb for the purpose.

gift is not a bleddy verb!

give is a verb present is a verb or noun (but pron differently)
a gift is what you give to someone!

i agree with holiday, actually, too - it's an US usage to use it as a verb.
in Brit English, it's a noun noun noun noun noun noun noun

You can holiday. It is a verb. It might not have always been, but it certainly is now.

What is the pedant's cutoff point for allowing a word? 200 years of popular use? 300 years?

nickelbarapasaurus

You didn't use a single capital letter when starting sentences; you used a made up word 'bleddy'; you missed punctuation; you put 'an' before the initialism 'US'.

I hope you understand why I have no intention of ignoring anything you say about English. Have you considered that Pedant's Corner may not be the place for you?

i have normally got a baby in one arm (as now).
it pains me to stretch to the shift key while i'm typing

bleddy's a perfectly good word

but about an US (that was most likely baby-brain)

and i stuck up for you about your smelting joke.

but you did say you're not going to ignore what i say about English, so i feel better