Staycation
If you read an American newspaper or listen to an American newscast, you may hear or read a strange word, “staycation.” Staycation is a new word the American press (newspapers, radio, and television) is using this summer to describe a vacation very close to your own home, or simply staying at home during your vacation. It is a combination of the words “stay” and “vacation.”
According to many news reports, these staycations are very popular among American families this year. Why? The high price of gasoline for cars and airplanes has made it very expensive for Americans to travel compared to past years. When you combine this with the weak American dollar, it all adds up to (leads to the conclusion that) people deciding to stay close to home during their traditional summer vacations.
Of course, some places are more interesting to “stay home at” than others. And if you live in a very small town, well, you may just want to skip (not to take, not to do) your vacation and save your time up for next year!
~Jeff
August 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am
In Spain we are going through a crisis like most of the world due to high price of gasoline among many other things, although our president socialist with his government lied to the Spaniards to win the elections, saying Spain was better than ever. Nowadays, only five months later than they won the elections, they say we have the biggest crisis in history. The socialist electors must feel like the most naive because the lie was obvious and clear.
Nevertheless, in spite of this big crisis, the Spaniards make the oposite to Staycation, and we travel abroad to Americans countries, because the Euro is higher than United State Dollar, so our vacation are thirty-three percent cheaper at currency exchange today.
Greetings.
August 5th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Staycation, a very interesting neologism!! Maybe because I’m staying at home this year. But I live near a nice lake, Orta’s Lake, in the North of Italy and I can’t complain…
August 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Staycation!
Good idea Dr. Jeff. Life has been expensive lately here in São paulo, Brazil too. Anyway some money has to be put aside - (I do not know if this expression is corect: to be put aside) - so that we can do something worthwhile in our own cities, I mean, theaters, very good and famous restaurants, shows, etc. In case it is not possible, the best to do is take advantage of the time and go to the gymn to work out and get fit, it is cheap. Take advantages of the beautiful parks (if any) is a wonderful idea to go jogging or just to have a walk. Everything aiming at losing weight and be happy! Please, do not try to walk (as a physical exercise) in Malls. I once did, walked only a little and spent too much money. As a matter of fact we have to be prudent whether we go out of our cities on vacation or we are on Staycation.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I think it’s not a bad idea to stay at home this hot summer. Just imagine that you could grab a cold bottle of beer while enjoying the Beijing Olympic Games that will soon be open this Friday, and see who’s going to break the world record and celebrate his or her own country for acchieving good accomplishments. There is nothing better than sitting in front of TV, and wow for the wonderful and amazing events.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Well, inflation in Hong Kong is particularly high in this year. Our currency is pegged to the US dollar (which is falling), but we rely heavily on the imports from the mainland China, where there is high inflation and whose currency is surging. It is a big headache to us!
We are now restricting our spending for dining out and other types of entertainments even in our own city, let alone travelling overseas. But well, life must go on. I agree with Wilma, money is not essential for enjoying life. Perhaps it is the golden chance for us to explore more deeply our own community!
August 6th, 2008 at 12:28 am
This phenomenom is commun at almost all country. There is no name yet. having in mind this behaviours are very good.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:02 am
i have a little question to this article. In the last paragraph is the word “live”. I can’t understand this clause because i would write “life”. Or i’m wrong?
August 6th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Vacation or staycation, I live my own life.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I love English because this lenguage is always inventing new words, and this is fine just to explain people life’s consequences by a world situation: CRISIS
But as elcomandate said before, here in Spain didn´t exist that “crisis” at all till now, and even more Mr. Rodriguez told us that Spain was “in the champion leage” among the most powefull nations to go through economic affairs. “This is Hollywood” and every moment we, spaniards, are living a movie.
Despite crisis, Madrid is as empty as every august, and many people thinks that September will be another month to think about problems. We are not persons to think about this matter “crisis”¡¡¡¡¡¡ …..what crisis?. We trust our president, we trust our goverment…….we are happy, despite less than 30 per cent spaniards save any money to prevent economic problems in future. We don’t need to save anything……., this is a matter of other people that invent a new word as “Staycation” to explaing they are saving money for this year respect their hollidays.
Manuel, I think that live is a verb and you have to use it when you want to say that you are living in small town or in a great town. Life is a noun and it is used in a different context in the sentence, as for example: “When we were young life was very easy to live without problems to think about”.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:51 am
To Manuel :
I think “live” here works as a verb, and life is a noun. YOU live in somewhere v.s. YOUR life in somewhere. little difference.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Here in Mexico city the life is hard too.
August 6th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
staycation watching the olympic games.
August 7th, 2008 at 6:38 am
To Manuel
Live is correct, because it’s a verb
and Life is a noun
August 7th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Thanks to you for that interesting portmanteau word.
I do not suffer from vacation envy; I dread packing, traffic jams, …
Staycation is just the vacation I need: there is no place like home!
Furthermore, that helps reducing my carbon footprint.
August 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Congratulations Monique, more or less I think like you, but I have a question to ask you please, what is your carbon footprint….., sorry but I don´t understand.
Thank you.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Emiliano,
Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame.
Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.
http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition
The footprint analogy is used because it suggests something we leave behind for generations to come.
You can calculate your own Carbon Footprint by entering values into a special calculator.
These numbers include your electricity, gas, oil, and car usage over a year’s time.
http://scitechspec.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/what%E2%80%99s-a-carbon-footprint-how-do-i-find-out-mine/
Have a good day.
August 8th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Thanks Monique, I have been reading the web page and your explanations that is just the same, and I do not know that words before and it’s meaning at all. It is very, very interesting if we want to be responsible of our behaviour on this earth that have to be the house of other live creatures. And it is for sure that if we remain at home taking
some fresh air, reading an old book from the public library it would be much better to reduce our carbon footprints. I like the words, thanks again….I have to measure mine and try to reduce it.