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

[Hairbrush123]

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

Into the city centre for me...

It means going to the high st.

To me it just means whatever town or city is closest to me. If I'm back in my hometown, "going to town" means going into our small town, because the nearest city in 2 hours away. If I was going to that city, I'd say I was going to the city.

But where I live now, "going to town" means going into Dublin city.

It doesn't quite work where we live as right in the middle of two towns, so we tend to say the name instead. But in general terms, going into the nearest town centre for shopping/coffee/errands. The 'going OTT' meaning is to town, surely, not into

My mum still says 'going up to town' meaning going to the nearest big city.

The city centre.

Going into the city centre, for any purpose

Central London.

Going to the local town? But we're rural so our local town is actually a trip away 😂

Going to central London

@SoberSerena

Town centre or into London for me (I live in a town near London)

Same here. The context usually gives away which one is meant.

I live on an island. Going to town means leaving the island to go to near by cities.

'Up to town' meant London when I lived in England . 'Into town' just means the big town now that I live in rural Wales

The city centre

I’m in London suburb so it means into Central London for me.

When I was at university it mean into the city centre.

When I lived down south we didn't say going to town, we said "I'm going to London"
When I moved to Yorkshire everyone says going to town including me, it can mean shopping or going for a drink in the city centre

We "go to town" no "into" or "the". And it means city centre for shopping (day time) or drinking (night).

I love that expression.

I live in a village, for me it means going into the nearest town and generally involves doing a circuit including a supermarket, Pets at Home, the chemist, anything in particular that we might need, sometimes petrol and generally ends in a takeaway coffee

To the city near to me.

Going to the city centre

I live on the edge of a very small town, and if I say I'm going to town, I mean the local shops. Anywhere else and I name the destination. I've never lived close enough to London to think of it as 'town'.

‘Going into town’ means going into the main centre, where all the shops and so on are. I still say that, even though I live in the suburbs of a city and am referring to going into the main city centre/CBD. Ironically though, I grew up in a town that hankered after city status (but still hasn’t got it), where the equivalent phrase was ‘going up city’!

I live in London and no one says this.
Where I grew up was a town (about 60,000 people I think) and it meant going to the town centre.

@Florelei

I live near Durham but going into town for me means going to Newcastle.

Same. Town means Newcastle. If I mean the town I actually live in I just say "nipping into Gateshead/Whickham/Birtley" etc.

Going to town= Going to the nearest city.

If we’re heading to our town shops then we say we’re popping to the shops.