Why Say Furlough When It Is Only A Break?

[Denton]

An Americanism I last heard on a Sgt.Bilko show.

[fiction-factory]

Dutch I recall.
Americans probably gotten it from us, just like they gotten gotten from us

[johnny.5]

If it's an Americanism
like COLOR and NEIGHBOR
Then you can clearly see

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT U

Am I Right ?
I'm Not Wrong !

[Buenchico]

See here:
https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1700461.html

[Prudie]

Beats me, I'd never heard of the word since FF used it last week, since I've heard it being used everyday in the media.

[woofgang]

furlough is a very old english word which came from the dutch. Its currently being used in a very specific way to describe people who are entitled to a benefit from the government for not working but who are not unemployed.
yes you are wrong.

[ichkeria]

No it just means laying people off: I guess the word’s used as it’s the best word for it.
In the Inspector Morse books Supt Strange suggests a period of furlough more than once to Morse meaning “gardening leave” really in his case

[Peter Pedant]

yes no !

academics way back when - if they stopped lecturing to write a book or something they were on sabbatical {paid)
and if they werent paid then furlough (altho the moolah usually came from the person borrowing them)

[Peter Pedant]

// Morse meaning “gardening leave” really in his case//

gardening leave means paid

[Prudie]

In my experience gardening leave means being off work on full pay because they can't get out of it but they definitely don't want you around (ever).