English Idiom – Neck of the woods.
A local area or neighbourhood, usually the place where someone lives.
We almost always use it with a possessive: my / your / this neck of the woods. It’s friendly and informal: “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”
The phrase started in American English, where a “neck” was a narrow strip of land or woodland. A wood is an area of land covered with trees.
Usage:
- A friend is visiting the area where you live.
- You’re visiting an unfamiliar area.
- You’re surprised to meet someone far from home.
Example:
- “You were in Winchester? That’s my neck of the woods! Why didn’t you pop in for a cuppa?”
In the News
Spotted in the news“When does The Last of Us episode 9 premiere in your neck of the woods?”bamsmackpow.comWhat is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
A local area or neighbourhood, usually where someone lives.
With a possessive, for example “What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
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