"stay at home" and "stay home"?

What's the difference between "stay at home" and "stay home"?
So confusing...

I don't think there is a difference. ;-)

Red5 said:

I don't think there is a difference. ;-)

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So you mean we can use these two expressions whenever we like?
No matter in what kind of context?
Sentences from one version of the textbooks of senior high school in Taiwan:
-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.
The word "at" in the second sentence is regarded as a wrong expression and is deleted in the revised version.
From your point of view, "stay at home" and "stay home" have no difference.
Thus, I can infer that the revision is not necessary.
Either expression is acceptable.
Is this what you mean?
No usage preference in a certain context for either expression?
Thanks for your patience.

-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.

Click to expand...

In the second sentence, you can delete the at and the sentence will mean the same thing. Both are used. BTW, a "stay at home" is somebody who doesn't like to go out much.

RonBee said:

-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.

Click to expand...

In the second sentence, you can delete the at and the sentence will mean the same thing. Both are used. BTW, a "stay at home" is somebody who doesn't like to go out much.

Click to expand...

Which would you prefer, 'she is a stay-at-home mom' or 'she is a stay-home mom?' The first one? Thanks, BMO

RonBee said:

-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.

Click to expand...

In the second sentence, you can delete the at and the sentence will mean the same thing. Both are used. BTW, a "stay at home" is somebody who doesn't like to go out much.

Click to expand...

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Therefore, there is still "different" connotation for each of the two expressions.
"Stay at home" has something to do with the "willingness" of a person,
while "stay home" only means the condition of a person.
However, without considering the connotation, the expression with at and without at are all fine and acceptable sentences.

Missing out the preposition is not very common in British English. ;-)

bmo said:

Which would you prefer, 'she is a stay-at-home mom' or 'she is a stay-home mom?' The first one?

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I would say she is a stay-at-home mom.

I think it's a difference between BE and AE. In BE we use the preposition. I've only ever heard AE speakers use the expression without the preposition.
In BE we say: I stayed at home last night. I usually stay at school for lunch. I stayed at work late last night. I stayed at a hotel when I was in Brighton. We use a preposition (not always 'at') with the verb stay.

Lib said:

I think it's a difference between BE and AE. In BE we use the preposition. I've only ever heard AE speakers use the expression without the preposition.

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Interesting. I would say (for example), "I am going to stay home tonight."

Fascinating.

Lib said:

I think it's a difference between BE and AE. In BE we use the preposition. I've only ever heard AE speakers use the expression without the preposition.
In BE we say: I stayed at home last night. I usually stay at school for lunch. I stayed at work late last night. I stayed at a hotel when I was in Brighton. We use a preposition (not always 'at') with the verb stay.

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I have heard it, but it isn't common. Some phrases are moving into British English- I do hear people saying 'write me' quite commonly now. ;-)

tdol said:

Lib said:

I think it's a difference between BE and AE. In BE we use the preposition. I've only ever heard AE speakers use the expression without the preposition.
In BE we say: I stayed at home last night. I usually stay at school for lunch. I stayed at work late last night. I stayed at a hotel when I was in Brighton. We use a preposition (not always 'at') with the verb stay.

Click to expand...

I have heard it, but it isn't common. Some phrases are moving into British English- I do hear people saying 'write me' quite commonly now. ;-)

Click to expand...

==============================================

So we can infer that this omission of the preposition is a tendency of AE?
--But with no change of the meaning temporarily. (Maybe someday the meaning will change a little bit or a lot.)

This phenomenon of omission is influencing BE.

"stay at home" from Cobuild Concordance:
----------------------------------------------------------------
<pre>
Could he afford to stop working to stay at home, to be there for them just
a relief it was to know that I could stay at home all day next day if
hospital; otherwise you may prefer to stay at home for as long as possible
and the old Morris Traveller tends to stay at home except in emergencies. [p]
Man, because women aren't going to stay at home and cook the Sunday lunch.
problem is that you can't ask him to stay at home If he doesn't fall off his
To avoid attacks we are supposed to stay at home, lie low and dressing a way
are warning all British nationals to stay at home. The capital was earlier
much in control and asking people to stay at home until future notice, to
in short supply, prison guards will stay at home, more than 2,000 FBI agents
concessions for mothers who chose to stay at home with their children. But
I don't know why we don't just stay at home. What could be nicer than
of feelings: My husband just has to stay at home, he has to listen to it on
expense. Still, a good day for stay-at-home weddings. [p] [f] This is a
upon him either. If he prefers to stay at home, and you prefer to do
will soar if you lose your job and stay at home when the house would
substitute' to Pacelli, while another stay-at-home, Ottaviani, went as `
000 non-essential workers are told to stay at home, which they gladly do,
English, and asked her husband to stay at home more. `He said he could not
snow, follow Dr Johnson's advice and stay at home. [p] The Swiss do it. Finns
search of cheap thrills when you can stay at home and watch The Good Sex
If you want to enjoy food with Gary, stay at home and chuck tomatoes at the
Covent Garden dancers seemed set to stay at home. [p] It was a situation
nothing," he said. `I had planned to stay at home and reflect. That was my way
erupt on TV. [p] But while the rich stay at home and watch events on their
38p after admitting to a bad case of stay-at-home consumers. Profits to March
the former feminist told women to stay at home with their children, her
and Southampton have been told to stay at home or work on maintenance
s churches in one go as worshippers stay at home to see what Raquel and Bet
said: `I'd rather go to school than stay at home. I really enjoy it. [p] Mum
to win back admirers in Europe and stay at home. [p] Britain's challenge
up with political sleaze they would stay at home. [p] He added: `The
the same support. Everyone wants to stay at home and with the RFU. It's the
try again. [p] But we didn't want to stay at home. We realized that
her job and possibly her career to stay at home to take care of an ill
and another one coming. So I had to stay at home to help her and she went out
face," John Wesley said. She wouldn't stay at home for a million bucks," June
banks. [p] And you may have to stay at home to be scared silly on
leaders urged their followers to stay at home and be patient. [p] Last
Sun: Takitome says these workers who stay at home have to take substantial pay
</pre>

"stay home" from Cobuild Concordance:
--------------------------------------------------------
<pre>
woman who adjures the rest of us to stay home and bake cookies. `Babies need
but it is terrible. We must stay home [p] A tall, grand woman,
for a lady. If they were they'd stay home with their wives." She stroked
women however, often with advice to stay home or have escorts & advice
between men and women. The men stay home and wash the dishes, the women
Men can't cry and women have to stay home and wash the dishes. Why can't
talk, to scare him, to make him stay home. But Grandpa nodded the whole
I might even get married again, and stay home and have babies.' What's
without due care and attention. [h] Stay home for holiday sunshine [/h] [p]
about how dangerous this is and stay home," said one US coastguard. [p]
of King Cool, all I can say is Yank Stay Home [p] [h] The Politician's Wife;
come back. It makes me nervous, so I stay home a lot. Then I don't have to
killed yesterday. Maybe he'd let me stay home. Worth trying, anyway." The
on a schoolday, I could get to stay home." [p] Ah. There is that." David
better. This summer she was going to stay home and take a course in
lunch. `He probably just decided to stay home. If his dad was as angry as you
about him," Debi pointed out. `If we stay home, there could be another murder,
of his buddies one who was happy to stay home and have sex instead of being
counselor. The woman's kin will stay home because they will have learned
people? What can I do to make her stay home? Just don't cry, just don't
[p] What it should have said is, stay home," she replied. `And pull the
work, compared to those whose mothers stay home? Do these two groups of
know just what she thought of it. `Stay home alone then," her mother said
fair? Why does his mother want him to stay home? How do Cathleen, Nora, and
we going to do the rest of our lives? Stay home and watch the parades go by?
people who believed that women should stay home and keep silent. Often speaking
when the children leave but you stay home alone. 79) Realize the joy you
but many passengers elected to stay home rather than pay the steep
that they should be sensible and stay home, I have to go outside to feed
thing, and that's that they better stay home or else. Last July, Machala
that one of those members needs to stay home, there's every chance that men
and the Poles find it cheaper to stay home and watch videos. Polish films
suggested? Or do the Slovenians just stay home? Stay tuned, Scott, this is
by what's been going on that they'll stay home? [p] Arnold: They're turned off
as housewives who are expected to stay home and raise the children. This
and rent an apartment. She had to stay home and iron handkerchiefs, and in
Adams: And the woman who would not stay home and bake cookies. [p] Hillary
that women will no longer have to stay home on Election Day. [p] I'm
how much fun it would have been to stay home and deal with the dirty dishes.
horses, camels and snowmobiles. Don't stay home without one! [c] picture [/c]

From a Google search:

"stay at home" = 523,000
"stay home" = 405,000
"stay at home" (UK) 86,900
"stay home" (UK) = 29,300

Then, of course, there's "stay there" (stay at that place).

:wink:

"Stay at home" revisited.

bmo said:

RonBee said:

-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.

Click to expand...

In the second sentence, you can delete the at and the sentence will mean the same thing. Both are used. BTW, a "stay at home" is somebody who doesn't like to go out much.

Click to expand...

Which would you prefer, 'she is a stay-at-home mom' or 'she is a stay-home mom?' The first one? Thanks, BMO

Click to expand...

I would invariably use the first one.

• From a Google search:
  
  "stay-at-home mom" = 102,000
  "stay-home mom" = 3,610

As for "My brother was told to stay home last night", in AE we would invariably leave out the at. In the second sentence ("My brother should have stayed at home last night") it is optional.

"Stay at home" revisited.

simile said:

RonBee said:

-->My brother was told to stay home last night, but he went to the movies.
-->My brother should have stayed at home last night.

Click to expand...

In the second sentence, you can delete the at and the sentence will mean the same thing. Both are used. BTW, a "stay at home" is somebody who doesn't like to go out much.

Click to expand...

===========================================

Therefore, there is still "different" connotation for each of the two expressions.
"Stay at home" has something to do with the "willingness" of a person,
while "stay home" only means the condition of a person.
However, without considering the connotation, the expression with at and without at are all fine and acceptable sentences.

Click to expand...

It should be "there are different connotations" (but there aren't). I disagree with your analysis. There is no difference in meaning between the two. It is only a matter of speaking habits.

(Say: "The expression with at and without at are both fine and acceptable sentences.")