postman’s holiday n. a vacation or holiday spent in a pastime similar to one’s usual employment. 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. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A listener remembers her grandmother’s colorful comment when someone arrived late after getting lost: You went around your elbow to get to your thumb. Lots of similar sayings in English suggest roundabout routes or overcomplicated tasks, including...
Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...
And then there’s the Postman’s Epitaph:
My Dog Won’t Bite.
!