I've heard people saying "I am going to town", why can't it be "I am going to the town"?
And why is it "I go to the city" and not "I go to city"?
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityI've heard people saying "I am going to town", why can't it be "I am going to the town"?
And why is it "I go to the city" and not "I go to city"?
In town and to town are stock phrases meaning in/to our nearby town/city. It used also to be used of London, as in the former BBC radio programme In town tonight. As @HotLicks implies, there is no logical reason for this (except that, in London, the City refers to the business district).