To be thick enough to as what people mean by working

[clinkers]

"in the city" ?

Oh I'm not a Scouser, I was using Liverpool as an example of a city that one might go into.

You can generally hear if someone is talking about 'the city' = the city near where they live vs 'The City'.

If it is London then "working in the City" definitely means financial services. We say "City lawyer" when we mean commercial or similar, rather than legal aid or high street firms.

When I lived up north we never said "the city" for Newcastle. We said "going to town" or "going up the town" and that always meant we were going into Newcastle itself. If we were going to the local shops, it was "going down the village" (even though it was a town, not a village!) and "going down the town" meant Gateshead, rather than Newcastle.

Very confusing.

Oh yes, and what Hecate said - "going to the City" would have meant going to London.

I've lived in London all my life and The City is indeed as bluegrass says, the square mile in old city of London and generally refers to financial institutions as previously stated.

West End is called Town, unless of course you are Sharon watts in which case it is Up West

thanks ... I've worked in the City all my working life .. don't think I'm an asshole .. bit like saying ALL teachers are nice, all electricians are cowboys etc, etc .. ridiculous assumption and prejudice IMO!

Its the square mile.

Contrary to various chip-on-shoulder beliefs, its a very civilised place where many of the men are gentlemen, it is a diverse workforce, with people of all sizes, shapes, and cultures.

There are very few arseholes - no more than in any other collective, in my experience.

Its a nice place to work.

I'm an east londoner born & bred although have worked all over London throughout my career. I have now been working in The City for over ten years and must agree with you Tatty, it's my favourite part of London and a great place to work. Although firmly mired in the 80's . Mind you maybe that's why I like working there

Agree on it (London) being 'town' when you're just going there/working there in general (but only if you live nearby -- it would be weird if you lived in Brighton, say, and used 'town' to mean London). 'City' is used like the others say, for that specific area of London and the institutions therein.

Yup another one here who refers to going into London as going to town, whereas the City is a square mile where most of the financial sector is based.

And tbh honest it's a great area. Steeped in history, wonderful architecture, great restaurants, bars and shops. Good vibe.

Though actually some banks, law firms etc moved out to get bigger gaffs but still refer to themselves as City.

I guess it's become a word that denotes a type of work.

the square mile of business city in laaaandan

Yeah, City of London is just the tiny borough where the financial and banking industries are based. Hence 'the City' to refer to working in the main offices of these businesses.

Just like we use Westminster to describe politics, really.

I'm an ex City worker and I don't think I'm an arsehole - how very rude. There are lots of menial workers in the City too you know - they aren't all money traders.

and even all traders aren't all assholes .. they're normal people, that just so happen either by luck or design to be in very well paying jobs ... it doesn't automatically make them assholes! Inverted snobbery is alive and well!

Some traders really are vile, arrogant, aggressive bullies, I've been unlucky enough to encounter a few and the culture doesn't exactly discourage it. But plenty are perfectly normal/nice people who behave decently even under pressure, and of course you get the nasty bullying types in most other walks of life as well.

I usually say I worked in the City, though I was in Canary Wharf not the Square Mile, so maybe it's not technically correct? I would usually assume someone just meant they worked in on of the big internatioal financial institutions or accountancy/law firms in London.

In Norfolk people go 'up the city'-they mean Norwich.

but yes usually they mean the square mile in London.

I worked in The City for a lot of my working life and it is the square mile. Most of the time I worked in Insurance and the rest of the time it was for a charity whose offices has been donated by an insurance company.

Yes Ephiny some traders are all that you said .. I am in my 23rd year of working on various trading floors, and have encountered more than one in that time! However, my OH is in construction .. and some contracts managers/plumbers/electricians/etc etc are also vile, arrogant, aggressive bullies! It just angers me when a whole workforce are automatically assumed to be a certain type, just because they work in the City!

Surely it's the finance district that it refers to?

It is the square mile.

I worked their my whole working life. My dh works there still.

The knee jerk sneering about wankers and snobbery is fuck headed nonsense.

Sorry - I didn't mean to say all money traders are nobby. Just a very stressful job that sometimes brings out the worst in people. But yes, "The City" is very definitely the square mile. It has a really great feel about it to work in - lots of history - I have lovely memories of the underground wine bars. Wish I was there now instead of this Strepford Wives suburbia.

There we are. Pag told you. She's right, you know.

The term 'the city' refers to the financial district, which is pretty much emcompassed in an area that is literally a square mile. It is what used to be the 'city' of London before London spread, but that was obviously a billion years ago, like Fire of London times.

Now, even if people work outside the square mile, if they work in Banking or Finance or Insurance etc they will still refer to themselves as working in 'The City'.

My husband works in the city - he's a banker. (quick, someone fetch the noose.) And he went to private boarding school. He is not an arsehole and doesn't look down on anybody. Ever. Wheareas I am a lower-middle class pleb who didn't even pass her 11 plus, and I haven't a day's a paid work in 18 years, but I am definitely an arsehole and I look down on all of you.

"In the City" means working in the financial/business part of London where all the offices are. . .as someone said here The Square Mile.. . .check it out on Google. . .(North of the Thames), Shoreditch, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Old Street, Bank, St Pauls,Cannon Street etc.

I have worked in the City and preferred it to other parts of London - Canary Wharf was craaaaaaaaaaap.

I am going to be a head-of- Arseholedom and say that I only count those pursuing prof careers/on grad schemes as "working in the City" - of course, support staff technically also work there and probably earn well but, it's just different. When my secretary first spoke of herself working "in the City" I instinctively did a double take.

But I have mellowed since , have CHOSEN to leave the City and earn pittance in a local job.

I think it can mean both things quite legitimately though. Some people say the work in the City as a non-specifice way of taking about their sector, and other people mean it geographically, and also sector realted but not in a high falutin' way.

If you are 'something in the city' then that implies you have a lucrative career as opposed to a support role.