Cool & contemporary vocab: holidays
The amount of holiday entitlement varies between countries and even between companies and organisations within the same country. In some places it can be just 2 weeks, while in others much longer. There are also public or national holidays which are normally not included in a person’s annual leave. These often coincide with religious festivals or historic days of importance and also differ greatly between countries.
It is now widely accepted that employees need time off to rest and relax so they can be more productive when they are at work. Some people prefer to do as little as possible when they’re on holiday, while others like to keep busy by doing lots of fun activities.
How do you like to spend yours? Try using some of the following words and expressions next time you’re discussing your holiday plans or sharing a travel anecdote.
Vocabulary
- to be on leave / holiday
meaning = to have some time away from your place of work
example = “I’ll be on leave for the last two weeks in August so we could meet up then.”
- to have/take time off
meaning = to have days or weeks away from your place of work, as paid or unpaid holiday
example = “I’m taking next Friday off as unpaid leave so that I can have a long weekend away.”
- to get/be in the holiday spirit
meaning = to be happy because it is the Christmas holiday
example = “I only get in the holiday spirit once we put up our Christmas tree.”
- a city break
meaning = a short stay in a major city
example = “We had a fantastic city break last weekend in Berlin.”
- budget accommodation
meaning = a very cheap hotel or other low-cost accommodation
example = “When we were students our only option was budget accommodation.”
- (to travel) on a shoestring (budget)
meaning = with very little money / on a very tight budget
example = “After graduating, I managed to travel around south-east Asia on a shoestring.”
- to travel light
meaning = with very little baggage
example = “I always travel light. That way I don’t have to check in any bags at the airport.”
- a package holiday / an all-inclusive
meaning = a holiday arranged by a travel company at a fixed price which can include hotel, transport, food & entertainment
example = “We always went on package holidays when I was a kid. I guess it was a lot easier for my parents.”
- a last-minute deal
meaning = an airfare, hotel booking or package holiday which is booked a few days/hours in advance, usually at a cheaper price
example = “I saved 50% off my holiday because I got an amazing last minute deal the week before we left.”
- a staycation (stay + vacation)
meaning = a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.
example = “With the current exchange rate, we found it cheaper to have a staycation this year.”
Phrasal verbs
- to snap up (a good deal)
meaning = to buy a plane ticket, hotel or package deal quickly because it has a very low price
example = “I snapped up a good deal on a holiday to Turkey and saved lots of money.”
- to set off (on a journey)
meaning = to leave
example = “I set off for the airport early, but there was lots of traffic so i still got delayed.”
- to soak up (the sun)
meaning = to sunbathe
example = “My parents love to sit on the beach and soak up the sun.”
- to rent out
meaning = to make your flat/apartment/house available for a holiday rental
example = “A lot of people rent out apartments or even their spare rooms on Airbnb these days.”
You can use these expressions to answer the Part 1 questions in this IELTS practice test:
Practice Test 4 - Tourism
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By Jenny Bedwell on 2016 10 20