Idiom Inggris

Are there idioms about towns and cities? There sure are! Here are just a few. They are good to know as you will hear them in Australia BUT remember, not everyone uses idioms on a regular basis. In fact, some people may not use idioms like these at all. But the more you know about them the better, agree?

the big smoke

A long time ago country people started calling cities ‘the big smoke’ because of all the smoke produced by factories and by people heating their homes and cooking. It’s possible that indigenous Australians were the first to use this expression because cities were the opposite to what they were familiar with.
'My brother’s gone to the big smoke to look for work.’

a one horse town
This type of town is a very small town that is quiet and where very little happens. There is not much action there and it is a pretty sleepy sort of place.
'I grew up in a one horse town. There was only one grocery store and nothing much to to do in the evening.'
city slicker
This idiom can be used when talking about someone from the city who has sophisticated manners and wears fancy clothing. Generally people who live in ‘one horse towns’ use this idiom to describe people from the ‘big smoke’.

'Did you see that stranger in town today? He is a city slicker for sure and he was driving that sports car too.'


the talk of the town
People often use this idiom to describe something or someone that everyone is talking about. Perhaps something odd has happened or somebody has done something out of the ordinary.

‘Have you heard about the new Mexican restaurant? It’s the talk of the town. The food’s great, but a bit spicy for me, and it’s not expensive. They also have Mexican dancers performing.’

Sources: Kangguru Magazine: 2006