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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!gatech!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin
From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: "Shopping days"
Message-ID: <291@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 14:50:08 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.291
Posted: Wed Dec  4 14:50:08 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 06:19:41 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: USAMC ALMSA, St. Louis, MO
Lines: 24

'Tis the season of the year when you constantly see and hear the phrase
"<n> shopping days 'til Christmas". I used to think nothing of it, but
now I find this usage quite annoying. Why? Because this area recently
voted down long-standing "Blue Laws" that prevented merchants from
having stores open on Sunday, and now there is no such thing as a
"shopping day" as distinct from just plain "day". Before, "shopping
days" meant "every day except Sunday". Now, there is no need to use the
phrase at all.

I'd like to know if other areas, that haven't had "Blue Laws"
restricting Sunday sales for many years, still encounter local usage of
the "shopping days" phrase, or if it has died out (as it should).

I wonder how much of the USA still has Sunday-sales restrictions (not
counting liquor sales laws, which are too arcane to consider or even to
contemplate)? What about the rest of the world? Are there Sunday-closing
laws in European countries? Are Sabbath-closing laws in effect in
Israel, or only in some areas of that country? What about in Asian,
Islamic, and other regions/cultures/countries?

Regards,
Will Martin

UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin   or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA