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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:
fluffythedragonslayer · 02/03/2022 22:16

@HoundOfTheBasketballs

"Into" town means going to the shops where I live.

"Up to" town means going to London.

Came on to post exactly this!

Going "up town" means going drinking in London. I've not been up town in a while 😏

siestaingsnake · 02/03/2022 22:20

depends my ex used to say into town meaning the next big town along beacause her grew up in a scheme there where and into town meant the nearest big city as thats what my gran said and she live in a suburb of that city and we went up the town on the train or bus to hers. In my wee town we say going down the street meaning to go to the high street/shopping centre of town for our messages (shopping)

Jux · 02/03/2022 23:07

Going to the shops, prob in the centre of the town you live in. Having said that, my Dad always said he was off to the village, by which he meant the High Street aka centre of town, but when we first moved there (I was 2) it was still a village. He'd have said village though wherever we were I think.

MangyInseam · 02/03/2022 23:17

I think this completely depends on where you live.

For example, I live in a village. I have also lived in the town nearby, and in the city an hour or so away.

When I lived in the city I would not have said I was going into town. Someone from the outskirts might use it to mean going in to the shops downtown.

When I lived in the town it usually meant going to the city. But someone who was from the outskirts might also mean going downtown to the shops.

In the village I live in now, it means going into the town. But if I go to a village in the next valley, which is closer to the city than the town, it means going into the city.

Mothership4two · 03/03/2022 02:37

Local shops to me or London

Aprilx · 03/03/2022 05:33

It would mean going to the nearest relatively large town centre, generally for shopping.

Somuddled · 03/03/2022 05:43

@HoundOfTheBasketballs

"Into" town means going to the shops where I live.

"Up to" town means going to London.

Same. Into town means my local high Sstreet/city centre. Up to town means London - even though I travel southwards to get to London. It is still always up.
Geranium1984 · 03/03/2022 05:46

I live in zone 2 London so going into town means central London. If I was going to my local high St I would say I'm going up the road or to the shops.

TheFuckingDogs · 03/03/2022 05:52

For us it means going into local city as opposed to local small town which we would just refer to by name confusingly

Hellokittyninja · 03/03/2022 06:37

Means going to London where we are.

KarmaLife · 03/03/2022 07:46

Often use this to refer to going into London ... an hour away. Although would typically say "up to town" rather than 'into" in that case.

Also use 'into town' for popping to the local shops.

Whitefire · 03/03/2022 07:55

@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”!

Yeah, Birmingham is 'town'. Solihull is 'Solihull.'

Solihull used to be "the village".

Hertsgirl10 · 03/03/2022 07:56

Has he been caught in a town he shouldn’t have been in and was saying he was in town? As in your town but he was elsewhere so he’s talking shit? Cos there’s really no other way to explain it cos it don’t make sense.
Other than going to town on someone like have a go?
And yes Londoners would say that to central but other than that it’s only been the local town/shops when people say that.

Whitefire · 03/03/2022 07:56

That was my GP's btw, not some totally random thought.

yellowpapers · 03/03/2022 08:14

I live 7 miles north of Liverpool in a town of c50K people, but going into town means going to Liverpool city centre. If we're going to the local town centre we say we're going to the village.

Notjustanymum · 03/03/2022 08:25

As I’ve always lived in or near London, I would only ever use the phrase when going into London. All other towns near me are mentioned by their name (E.g. Watford or Rickmansworth Etc.) if I’m telling someone that I’m going there…

Mollymoostoo · 03/03/2022 08:32

@lovelyweathertoday

It means the city centre where I live.
Yeah same for me. We live in a small town so we won't say going to the (insert name of shops) if going to the actual town ctr. If we say we are going into town, we mean the big city ctr.
bemusedmoose · 03/03/2022 10:07

for me - going to shops means the shops down the road usually a quick trip, going to town means going to the big town with lots of shops and not just a supermarket. Will involve mooching in lots of shops and probably caffeine based sustenance - will be gone for some time! Going into London would be going to the city.

On the other hand - i might go to town on something which means i'm going all out.

33goingon64 · 03/03/2022 10:18

Definitely means going into the nearest town to where you live. I grew up near Barnsley, which was always referred to as 'Town' even by people who lived nearer other towns. As you drive into Barnsley there's a road marking in the lane saying 'TOWN', which I've never seen anywhere else (not 'Town Centre' as you'd expect).

sussexman · 03/03/2022 13:54

For me

"into town" = shopping in the town where I live
"up to town" = trip to London (any reason)
"on the town" = night out in the town where I live
"going to town" = making the most of/overdoing something.

English is great!

iklboo · 03/03/2022 13:56

The shopping centre where I live. Before I moved here it meant Manchester city centre.

Zanina · 03/03/2022 14:23

In York it means going to the city centre

Wrinklefree · 03/03/2022 14:55

@Flexitarian

Depends on context. Either going into the town centre or going overboard with something, really going to town on it.
The above, I’m from the North so not sure if it’s just a North thing.
Bedsheets4knickers · 03/03/2022 15:09

Town centre nearest to you .

Mummytotwogirls01 · 03/03/2022 18:28

If in a market town near London it means central London otherwise it means a City centre of where I live imo

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