In this mini episode, you will learn the interesting expression “go to town.” (It doesn’t mean what you think.)
Episode 447 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the interesting expression “go to town.” (It doesn’t mean what you think.) Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hello, everyone. This is Daniela from Colombia, and you are listening to this amazing podcast, Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 447 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you an interesting phrase. The phrase is “go to town.” Go to town.
That’s g-o, t-o, t-o-w-n. Go to town.
I’m not talking about using this phrase when you want to say that you are going to the town or something like that. I’m talking about this very specific and maybe unexpected meaning that “go to town” often has. We can use “go to town” when we are describing doing something in a very energetic, enthusiastic, or excessive way. If you are doing something to an excessive degree or in an especially energetic or enthusiastic way, you can say that you are “going to town.”
That probably sounds a little bit strange to you or a little bit funny. It kind of sounds a little funny to me too, but that is what this expression often means.
When we use this phrase “go to town,” we often use a prepositional phrase after it. We often say, “go to town on” and then a noun that has to do with the thing that we are doing in an energetic, enthusiastic, or excessive way. I’m guessing that sounds a little bit hard to understand. Saying it that way might not sound very clear.
Let me give you an example that I think will help you understand this strange and interesting phrase.
Imagine that when you came home from work, your family member or friend or roommate had made a big batch of cookies. They had made many, many cookies. And when you came home, you saw all of these cookies in a big bowl on the table.
Imagine that when you see those cookies, you are very hungry. You would like to eat many of those cookies. You could say, “I think I will go to town on these cookies.”
I think I will go to town on these cookies. That means I think I will eat many of these cookies, and I will eat them quickly, and I will eat them in a very hungry way. I will eat them in a very enthusiastic way. I’m really going to eat many cookies quickly, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to go to town on these cookies.
You will just have to trust me that we really do use this phrase in that way. We really do use “go to town” or “go to town on something” when we want to describe doing something with great energy and great enthusiasm or doing it a lot or too much.
Here’s another example:
Imagine that you live in a neighborhood where many people really love Halloween. They love the holiday Halloween, and they often decorate their homes for Halloween. Let’s say there is one house in particular on your street where the people decorate for Halloween a lot. They put up many, many decorations. They spend a lot of money on their Halloween decorations. They love Halloween. You could say, “Every year the people who live in that house go to town on Halloween decorations.” They go to town on Halloween decorations. That means they have a lot of decorations. Maybe you think they have too many. Maybe you think they have so many decorations that it is somehow inappropriate. It’s just too much. You could say, “They really go to town on Halloween decorations.”
If the context is clear, you do not need to add that prepositional phrase. You do not need to add “on something.” If the situation makes it clear what you are talking about, then you don’t need the on part. You can just say “go to town” or “went to town.”
And that is “go to town,” a common, useful, and interesting phrase that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 447 of Everybody ESL. Remember: If you have any questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Daniela recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!