Is”Furlough” An American Term?

[Denton]

Never heard it used in Britain until last week.

[Spicerack]

I've certainly heard it before but it might be from American films.

[Ken4155]

I do believe it originates from the American military. Rarely used this side of the pond, I think.

[Buenchico]

I've always thought of 'furlough' (as a noun) as a term mainly used by the US military but the OED has British references to its usage going back as far as 1631.

When used as a verb though, the OED notes 'chiefly US'.

[Spicerack]

I think there's quite a few 'Americanisms' that originated here but fell out of use.

[Denton]

Remember now,from American Films.

[Prudie]

I'd never heard of it until factor fiction used it the other day. Is it pronounced fur low?

[ichkeria]

Used a few times in the Inspector Morse books ...

[dannyk13]

// Is it pronounced fur low?//
Yes.

[Mamyalynne]

Originally from Old Dutch - Verlof - Leave of absence.

[woofgang]

yup, people who worked in India on the plantations went on furlough.

[fiction-factory]

Like quite a few Americansims it started in Britain but then got long-grassed. We'll be using it 24/7 going forwards, I reckon.
Just thought I'd touch base and give you a heads up Prudie- itw as me not factor fiction, prudie. Whatever

[jno]

you're saying Prudie was wrong from the get-go? Her bad, then.

[sanmac]

And during WW2, American troops were described by their British counterparts as "over paid, over sexed, and over 'ere", especially when the Americans went on furlough.

[fiction-factory]

I've gotten over it

[jno]

it was good that you reached out to her.

[ynnafymmi]

Originally German,i think."Ver loben"...for leave,in German.

[Prudie]

OMG see ff is implanted in my brain, I get mixed up, I hate change, sorry :-)

[woofgang]

should we take a meeting about this? I'll have my people call your people.

[Peter Pedant]

furlough is an American word meaning that the President and his pals get very rich indeed and the people DDDIIIIIEEEE!
it was all ordained by God of course
God Bless America - by God it needs it

goggle etymology of furlough

I thought it was anglo saxon - noo noo noo noo
loan word from the Dutch verlof - and that comes from verlaub - compounds of what became our word - leave

[douglas9401]

Alĺ of the above are a wake-up call right enough.