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holibobs

A cheerful, childlike British-Irish term for holidays or vacation time.

ˈhɒlɪˌbɒbz158 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK

A cheerful, childlike British-Irish term for holidays or vacation time. The '-bobs' suffix adds a playful, diminutive quality that makes the word sound like something a toddler might say — which is precisely why adults use it ironically or affectionately. It shows up constantly on British social media when people announce they're going on holiday, conveying that mix of excitement and self-aware goofiness that defines a lot of British internet humour.

Right, phones off, emails ignored — we're officially on holibobs for the next two weeks.
Origin: British English; 'holibobs' formed by appending the playful suffix '-bobs' to 'holi(days).' Part of a broader pattern of infantilising suffixes in British casual speech (cf. 'sickybobs' for sick day). Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK, Ireland, jocular) Holidays.

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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

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