"The city"

[Julez]

Why do you think it is that they don't just say Sydney? Because they say Melbourne and every other city in Aus. And when they film "the city" it's obviously Sydney so I wonder why they don't just say it. Is there an official reason or is it just a policy decision?

[Barbara]

That's something I've always wondered too. I don't remember them ever saying Sydney.

[Traceve]

Where I live in a small town like Summer Bay and when someone goes to Adelaide (my state's city) they just say they're going to the city instead of the actual name. I think it's a small town thing.

[alexx]

Why would you say Sydney though? - we just say going to the city rather than saying Sydney every time - because that would kinda state the obvious, there is only one city in the state so it makes more sense to just refer to it as ''the city''..

[Barbara]

^ It might make sense in Australia, or other English-speaking countries for that matter, but not in Belgium.

When I go to the city near which I live, I sometimes say "I'm going to the city" but that city is NOT the capital of the province where I live.

For example, if I would live in a town near Ostend (which is a Belgian city) and wanted to go to Ostend, I would say "I'm going to the city" but Bruges is the capital of that province, not Ostend. If I was about to go to Bruges, I would say "I'm going to Bruges", not "I'm going to the city". I hope this makes sense.

In Belgium, a province has a capital which is usually the main and biggest city in that province, then you have other cities and then you have towns and villages.

But thank you for answering.

[Cal]

^ It might make sense in Australia, or other English-speaking countries for that matter, but not in Belgium.

When I go to the city near which I live, I sometimes say "I'm going to the city" but that city is NOT the capital of the province where I live.

For example, if I would live in a town near Ostend (which is a Belgian city) and wanted to go to Ostend, I would say "I'm going to the city" but Bruges is the capital of that province, not Ostend. If I was about to go to Bruges, I would say "I'm going to Bruges", not "I'm going to the city". I hope this makes sense.

In Belgium, a province has a capital which is usually the main and biggest city in that province, then you have other cities and then you have towns and villages.

But thank you for answering.

That's pretty much the same as here. I say "I'm going to the city", but I mean Galway, not Dublin, because I live closer to Galway. But Galway is the only city in the province I live in, but there are 3 cities in Munster, and then 2 in Leinster. And I guess the capital of Ulster would be Belfast.

Anyway, I think saying "I'm going to Sydney" kind of suggests that Sydney is fifteen hours away or something. But saying "I'm going to the city" suggests that it's a few hours away. Well, that's how it sounds to me.

[Lise]

My Mum's family live in the country and when they go into Invercargill, they always say they are 'going into town' and it always confuses me. I'm forever saying to them 'So, you went to Invercargill?'.

[Drew]

Well here in NSW there's only one city, and that's Sydney, so pretty much everyone knows where you're going if you say that.

I've always said it, or said it like "going into town". I never took much notice of it until this topic came up, but that's just how it normally is

[Julez]

Thanks - it makes sense that "the city" suggests it's close whereas if they said "Sydney" it would seem further away like Melbourne is.

[Nathan.]

I've always said, "I'm going into town" and I basically live in town lol. But by saying that I mean I'm going into the city centre where all the shops are and stuff.