That’s fun! ‘Home’ as an adverb was “Orig. accus. of home noun, as the case of destination after a verb of motion”, an idea familiar enough to any student of German – thus, at least, sayeth the Shorter Oxford. It also adds:
“4. b With no implication of motion: in one’s home, at home. N. Amer. m19.”
Small wonder, then, that “stay home” doesn’t grate on my ear as ungrammatical, if I’ve heard “stay home!” in a Brooklyn accent in a hundred cop dramas!
That’s fun! ‘Home’ as an adverb was “Orig. accus. of home noun, as the case of destination after a verb of motion”, an idea familiar enough to any student of German – thus, at least, sayeth the Shorter Oxford. It also adds:
“4. b With no implication of motion: in one’s home, at home. N. Amer. m19.”
Small wonder, then, that “stay home” doesn’t grate on my ear as ungrammatical, if I’ve heard “stay home!” in a Brooklyn accent in a hundred cop dramas!
Thanks,Shikari! So there is a British v. American argument here, as well as a grammatical/usage one …
– Glossophilia