A busman’s vacation is when someone spends their holiday doing the same work they do for a living. It can be a welcome change and allows professionals to experience life from their clients’ perspective. The phrase “busman’s holiday” may have originated from horse omnibus drivers disguising themselves as passengers on their off days, or from pickpocket teams with a chatterbox member called a “buzzman.”
A busman’s vacation is one in which a person spends his vacation time doing the same activities he does for a living. A doctor, for example, may take a break from a busman to work in a free clinic in a third world country.
Taking a holiday from a busman may be seen by others as not taking a holiday at all, but for some people the thought of working voluntarily can really be a welcome change in their routine. This type of vacation often allows professionals to experience life from the perspective of their clients or clients. Instead of driving a bus for a living, a bus driver on vacation can drive the bus like a regular passenger and enjoy the scenery.
There are a few different theories as to the origin of the phrase “busman’s holiday”. The most commonly accepted version harks back to the horse omnibuses of 19th century England. The drivers of these omnibuses often became very attached to their particular team of horses that pulled their carriage through the city. On their off days, many of these omnibus drivers disguised themselves as regular passengers to keep an eye on the relief drivers and horses. The term “bus holiday” is said to have originated from this practice of bus drivers spending their downtime on buses.
Another theory also has some supporters in the world of etymology. After all, the term “bus vacation” may have nothing to do with professional bus drivers. At the same time as the horse-drawn omnibuses, pickpocket squads worked the streets of London. One team member distracts the victim by engaging in conversation, while his or her partner chooses the victim’s wallet. The slang term for the chatterbox of the two pickpockets was buzzman or buzman. Some etymologists think that a “buzman holiday” would not be a holiday at all, since criminals rarely take a break from criminal activity. Eventually the term would change to the more acceptable “bus vacation,” complete with a plausible alternative origin.
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