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.
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Okay, let's get on with this mini-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.
This is the end of episode 447 of Everybody ESL.
Remember if you have 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.
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.
