When:
Lookups spiked on April 6, 2011.
Why:
Furlough - meaning "a period of time when an employee is told not to come to work and is not paid" - has been used frequently as Democrats and Republicans square off in a budget debate that may shut down the federal government.
For example:
"The CIA, FBI and other U.S. intelligence agencies are planning potentially significant employee furloughs in the event of a federal government shutdown, top agency officials said on Wednesday." - Reuters, April 6, 2011
Furlough comes from the Dutch word that means "permission."
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