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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
LampLighter414 · 02/03/2022 09:08

City centre of the city I live near (not London)

FireMeetGasoline · 02/03/2022 09:29

Everyone in my town would know what I meant if I said 'I'm going into town', although we'd say 'I'm going to town' (which has another meaning too) Grin. It would mean I was going to our town in which we all live. I feel like I've said town that much that it thecword has become weird.

MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers · 02/03/2022 09:36

I live in Birmingham so to me, 'town' means the city centre. To my DH, who is not a Brummie, 'town' means the local high street.

SpiderVersed · 02/03/2022 09:38

Into the city centre of the city I live in.

My daughter and her mates are always going "into town" on the weekends for an afternoon going around the shops.

BobbinHood · 02/03/2022 09:40

Into the city centre of the city where I live.

Mochudubh · 02/03/2022 10:24

To me it means going into the City Centre but many years ago I worked in a poash* Perthshire hotel (not that one). One day the owner said she was going to "Town". I asked "Perth"? and she gave a tinkly Morningside laugh and said "Of course not. Edinburgh. I wouldn't refer to Perth as Town".

*Poash being the Scottish version of naice.

speculooscookie · 02/03/2022 10:35

Where I live it either means going into centre of town to where I live or if you say going up town (ie without 'to') it means to London.

DilemmaDelilah · 02/03/2022 10:38

As others have said, for us it means going into the city centre rather than to our local shopping centre. If we were going to the local shopping centre we would say I'm going to (name of shopping centre) and the same if we were going to a different shopping centre rather than the local one or the city centre, we would state the name of the shopping centre.

imnottoofussed · 02/03/2022 10:40

Going to the city centre rather than the local high street/shopping centre . Also Manchester as per a pp.

MenopauseSucks · 02/03/2022 10:50

Going into town means heading into my local town as I live in the outskirts.

Heading up to town is going up to London - I'm in commuter belt, getting to London is easy & I visit there quite a lot!

GlitteryGreen · 02/03/2022 10:56

Into town means London for me, but I live on the outskirts.

melj1213 · 02/03/2022 11:06

I live in the Lakes, if I say "I'm going into town" I mean my local town centre. My friends who live in rural villages also use "going into town" to mean the closest big town as opposed to the village high street (which is usually just a corner shop/post office/pub at most)

If we are going to go to one of the nearest cities (Lancaster/Preston/Carlisle/Manchester etc) then you'd specifically name it and say "I'm going to X"

SallyCinnamon3009 · 02/03/2022 11:35

Nearest city centre to where we live

ilovechocolate07 · 02/03/2022 17:30

In my part of the SE people say going into Town meaning London. I say it meaning my local town centre.

withoutawordofalie · 02/03/2022 17:36

Going to town for me is going into the centre of Manchester.

Scotland32 · 02/03/2022 17:38

Into the city centre (we live 20 miles outside) rather then the centre of the nearest town (5 miles)….

Maidsmum · 02/03/2022 17:39

Usually "into town" means the town a couple of miles from me (and where I work when in the office). UP to town, however, means Glasgow. This is not 100% consistent though, and I do expect people to be clear themselves on which I mean (in my defence, usually the context will help 😉😂)

mumeeee · 02/03/2022 17:39

Going into the city centre where I live

browneyes77 · 02/03/2022 17:40

@Hairbrush123

Thanks all! DH thinks the term is too vague as it could mean any town - he just calls our town centre by its name!

@HunterHearstHelmsley where are you from? I live in Solihull so not far from Brum Grin but I wouldn’t call Birmingham “town”!

I’m in Birmingham (south west Brum) and I’ve always referred to Birmingham City Centre as “town”. As does everyone else I know who lives in Brum.

I think majority of people will just use it to describe the closest town/city centre to where they live.

My partner lives near Wolverhampton. When I’m at his house, I refer to that as Wolvo. I wouldn’t refer to it as ‘town’ because it’s not my town Grin

AlexaShutUp · 02/03/2022 17:43

Into the centre of the town that l live in, or into our nearest big city (where I also happen to work). I use the two interchangeably but nobody ever seems to get confused! Grin

Maybepossibly22 · 02/03/2022 17:44

Going into town is going to the high street
Going up town is going to London (live in a town in Essex)

AngelsWithSilverWings · 02/03/2022 17:46

Into town means going to the local town. Up to town means going to London. But we also say going into The City for London but that would specifically mean The City of London square mile.

Just to add to the general confusion our local town has this week become a city but I think it's going to take a while before we get in the habit of calling it the city centre.

obstacalling · 02/03/2022 17:48

People in Kent and Essex say they're going "up taaaaaaan" which means central London

ALongHardWinter · 02/03/2022 17:48

To me it could mean going into the local town,or going into central London (I live in west London).

harrystylestaylorswift · 02/03/2022 17:50

Going into Manchester city centre

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