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

I live at the edge of a small city. To me it means going into city centre. It doesn't mean the nearest shopping centre, though you can get most things there and it has banks and a library etc - when I go there I call it by its name.

It means going to central London to me!

To Edinburgh (from town nearby)

When I lived in Surrey it meant going to London, now I live out in the Fens it literally means going into the nearest large town.

to the town/city centre where I live

I grew up in a town just outside London but never heard anyone describing going to London as "going into town". It would just be "going into London"

It's going to depend where you live.

Rurally - into your local down
Suburbs - into your City Centre

Where I'm from we would always say 'doon the toon' meaning into the centre of the town to shop. For a while I associated with some landed gentry types and it made me laugh that they would 'go to town' for the weekend , meaning London, even though it's 360 miles away

I live in London. Town is soho to me, as opposed to The City as in the square mile.

Depending on the context, it would either mean:

“I’m going to the shops in the city centre”

or

“I’m going for a night out drinking/clubbing in the city centre”

If I meant London I’d say London. That’s never been “town” to me at all.

Just to counteract all the 'going up to town'=London. When you are in Oxbridge you are 'up' and London (and everywhere else) is 'down'.

Going into town = going to the shops in the centre, even though it’s actually a city. Never say going into city! Sounds like a train!

When I lived in London (zone 2/3 border) "going into town" would have meant going somewhere in zone 1.

Here in the sticks it means going to the street where the few shops are and almost certainly refers to going to the supermarket. If we were going to another, bigger town or city we'd probably mention it by name.

To me it would mean going into central London; I live on the outskirts. I used to work in town.

If you are in the outskirts of London it always (ime) means going in Central London.

I'm in Surrey. It would mean going into London for me.

Down the town - the local shopping centre
Into town - liverpool city centre

London people - do you not say Up West like in eastenders?

Now I live on the outskirts of London I say that when I'm going into central London. If I'm going to the shops I'll say the name of the town.

When I used to live in Devon though going in to town meant going in to the nearest town.

I live in a town near Dublin, going down the town is into the centre of my town, going into town is Dublin City centre

Where I live, local people refer to our small town centre as 'the village' even though it is not remotely village like! When I first moved here and would say I need to pop into town for X, people would say 'do you mean the village?!' I refuse to call it that as it isn't a village and I think it's a weird kind of snobbery to be honest!

Going into or up town would probably be 1 of the 2 nearest city centres or a bit further afield and into Manchester. It wouldn't actually be obvious here where someone meant!

I live in Enfield, suburbs of London and here it could mean going into central London or it could mean Enfield Town which is our local town centre, shops services etc. Bit confusing!

To me it means going into central London.

Where I live it would mean the city centre, we live about 10 miles from the city centre and there are other small towns we also go to, but then I would just say the name of the town.

Daytime shopping lunching
Night on the piss or maybe a nixie meal

@QueenofFox

I live in London. Town is soho to me, as opposed to The City as in the square mile.

Yes this. I said zone 1 but really it would have been a few specific areas. I worked in the City and my gym was in Tower Hill - I'd never have referred to that as town.