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AIBU?

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Original poster

When someone says they’re going into “town”, what does that mean to you?

430 replies

Hairbrush123 · 01/03/2022 20:23

Having a debate with DH and wonder what this term means to other people? To me, it means going into the centre of the town I live in

OP posts:
RhinestoneCowgirl · 01/03/2022 22:34

I live in Bristol, going to town would be city centre.

As a teen I lived outside London, going into town would be town centre of the place I lived, going up to town would have meant going into London.

livinthedream1995 · 01/03/2022 22:35

To the centre of town where the shops are.

Although where I am is pretty much kebab houses, Turkish barbers, Costa and Greg’s and that’s it lol, so not really much of a town

AppaTheSixLeggedFlyingBison · 01/03/2022 22:38

A local town centre, either my own or one close by (20 mins away)

headintheproverbial · 01/03/2022 22:41

I live in London outskirts and it means central London.

But when I lived in another part of the country it meant the nearest BIG city. Not the town centre near where I lived.

RaoulDufysCat · 01/03/2022 22:41

I live in London, zone 3. It means going into central London to me.

yikesanotherbooboo · 01/03/2022 22:41

I would say UP to town or at a pinch simply TO town if I meant London.
If I was going to our local town I would say INTO.

Dixiechickonhols · 01/03/2022 22:42

When I was growing up it meant going into Manchester city centre. There were closer towns but town meant Manchester.
It’s not said around where I am now - small market town nearby is just called it’s name.

RumJerrySailorRum · 01/03/2022 22:43

I live outside of Leeds. (A large village/small town that gets mentioned a lot on here when people want to 're locate)

If anyone from Leeds says they are off t'town they mean Leeds City Centre.

Crinkle77 · 01/03/2022 22:45

Going in to the city centre.

DorothyZbornakIsAQueen · 01/03/2022 22:45

I live in a town about 20/30 minutes away from Liverpool, so 'going into town' for where we live, would mean going into Liverpool City centre.

PollyannaWhittier · 01/03/2022 22:45

In to town = to the centre of the town in which they live
Up to town = to London (which happens to be our nearest city, but it would still mean the same even if it wasn't)

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/03/2022 22:45

I'm going further than the nearest Co-op/Tesco Express/Sainsburys Local, maybe even a whole mile away to the bit with a Marks & Spencers and Primark rather than the market.

Much like 'to the village' was walking across the field over back to get to Somerfield instead of no further than the Fox and Hounds/the Village Club for my Grandfather.

ArialAnna · 01/03/2022 22:46

To me it means going to the nearest decently sized urban centre that you have to make a bit of effort to travel to (e.g. drive or get on the tube / train). So for me 'going into town' is central London. We have a fair number of shops, restaurants and pubs locally within 10 mins walk, but that's not 'going into town' - that would be popping to the shops / nipping out for lunch, etc

Ki0612 · 01/03/2022 22:48

Going to town would be Glasgow city centre, if you lived in town nearby. Town would be Glasgow city centre and the centre would be town centre.

Athenajm80 · 01/03/2022 22:49

It would mean into the city centre for me. My friend who lives about 10/15 minutes walk from the city centre say "I'm going into the city" when he means the centre which to me is weird cause he already is in the city, but he thinks I'm odd for calling it town.

Miserablecat · 01/03/2022 22:52

I use it to mean the town I live in. Older people call the town "the village" but it really isn't a village.

Daydreamsinsantafe · 01/03/2022 22:53

To me If you live rurally it means the nearest city. If you love in a large town with a defined shopping area then it would mean there.
Traditionally I believe it means the former.

gogohm · 01/03/2022 22:54

Means into the big city centre rather than local town to me.

My parents always said up town, I kind of got it from them

secretllama · 01/03/2022 22:56

I live in a commuter town to a city in Scotland, and going into town means going to the city, not my town center.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 01/03/2022 22:56

@OliveRudge

London
Not up here with a HG4 postcode it doesn't!
deveronvalley · 01/03/2022 22:56

I live in a small rural town in Aberdeenshire. 'Going into town' here means going into Aberdeen city, about 40 miles away.

ouch12345 · 01/03/2022 22:57

City Town centre (I.e Manchester). I would say I was going to the village if I was going local.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 01/03/2022 22:57

@DorothyZbornakIsAQueen

I live in a town about 20/30 minutes away from Liverpool, so 'going into town' for where we live, would mean going into Liverpool City centre.
St Helens?
VestaTilley · 01/03/2022 22:59

Yes, “up to town” or “to town” means going to your nearest big city or nearby large town usually. My Mum is a scouser and when she says it she means Liverpool.

In Jane Austen’s novels “town” means London - I can only assume everyone used town as a shorthand for London back then.

LookMoreCloselier · 01/03/2022 22:59

I grew up in a town where going into town meant into the nearby city. If we were going to the town centre it was 'down the road'.