From Wimbledon, or from London? (Modern day)

[coolslug]

I apologize for the slightly vague title, but I wasn't sure how to concisely say what my question was

Comments

[reynardo]

Totally agree. At least with "London" they're going to know where. Ask most people with a foreign accent where they're from and they'll give you the country first, but if you then show you know a bit of where that is, they'll start narrowing things down.

[coolslug]

Makes sense. Thank you for your help!

[coolslug]

I thought it might be something like that, where it's just easier to say London. Thank you!

[laurose8]

He might try to avoid mentioning Wimbledon. He's probably got quite a collection of Wombles jokes.

[coolslug]

The Wombles as in the children's book creatures? I expect the people he'd be interacting with have never heard of them so he probably wouldn't have to worry about it, but it's an interesting perspective. But maybe he'd avoid mentioning Wimbledon because everyone would bring up tennis and he's heard it a million times.

[elfbert]

I was going to say that Wimbledon is one of the few areas you might say you came from with half a hope that other people had heard of it - unlike, say, announcing you were from Alperton or Silvertown or something.

But if he wants to avoid talking about tennis, then definitely say 'London'.

[essayofthoughts]

It can vary. I have cousins who've lived in London - if they're talking to someone outside of London then they'll say London and then specify if the person is gonna visit or something, or if they need an address to send letters/presents, but if the person is also a Londoner then they'll specify the area a bit more. That said, some particular areas of London apparently have nicknames amongst Londoners? But I'm not sure if that's people just taking the piss.

[elfbert]

There are silly nicknames for parts of London, but I'm not sure they're that universal - there is a lot of shortening of names that happens. You can just mash names together, usually. So West Hampstead becomes Wampstead. Shepherds Bush is Sheeboo/Chez-bu.

Sometimes areas which have recently become posher get a silly name makeover - take the original name, but make it sound posher. So Battersea becomes pronounced Batt-err-see-ah, Crouch End becomes Kroo-shond. Done purely to take the piss, because as we all know, every area in London is 'up and coming'....

There are a few areas which also have a sort of collective name - like bits around Earlsfield/Wandsworth are 'Nappy Valley', because of the demographic of young couples moving out that far to work in town but afford a house suitable for raising a family.

There's also vague rivalry of North/South/East/West. But we all know that living North of the river is superior, and out West is the best of all ;)

[redheadforever]

And in my mind I'm hearing Hyacinth Bucket:

"It's BOUQUET, Richard!"

[lilacsigil]

My brother lives in a suburb of London. He says he lives in London, and if the person he's talking to has lived in London or has family there, they will ask him for more details.