A townie is a person from a town or city, said by someone who is pointing out that this person knows nothing about the countryside. It is a label thrown across a gap. The picture behind it: someone arrives in a village in clean white shoes, is frightened of a cow, cannot tell wheat from grass, complains that it is too quiet at night — and a local says, half-laughing, 'townie'.

A townie Townie is指 a person一個人 from a town or city來自城鎮或城市的, said由某個人 by someone who is pointing out指出 that this person knows nothing about the countryside這個人完全不懂鄉下事而說出來的說法. It它 is是 a label一個標籤 thrown across a gap丟過一道鴻溝. The picture behind it它背後的畫面 is是: someone某個人 arrives in a village來到一個村莊 in clean white shoes穿著乾淨的白鞋子, is frightened of a cow怕牛, cannot tell wheat from grass分不清小麥和草, complains that it is too quiet at night抱怨晚上太安靜 —— and然後 a local一個當地人 says說, half-laughing半笑著, 'townie' 「townie」.

The feeling of the word matters more than the definition. It is mildly rude. Not a terrible insult, not a word that starts a fight, but never a compliment — it says 'you are soft, you are out of place here'.

The feeling of the word這個字的語氣 matters more than比…更重要 the definition定義. It它 is是 mildly rude有點沒禮貌. Not a terrible insult不是很嚴重的侮辱, not a word that starts a fight也不是會吵起架來的字, but但 never a compliment絕對不是稱讚 —— it它 says意思是 'you are soft, you are out of place here' 「你很嬌弱，你在這裡格格不入」.

Friends use it to tease each other. You would not use it about someone you had just met.

Friends朋友之間 use it用它 to tease each other互相取笑. You你 would not use it不會用它 about someone you had just met來說一個你剛認識的人.

There is a second use, mainly in British university towns like Oxford or Cambridge. There, students call the local residents townies, and the locals call the students something less polite back. It is the old 'town and gown' split — the university on one side, the ordinary town on the other — and 'townie' is the students' side of it. Same shape of word: us in here, them out there.

There is還有 a second use第二種用法, mainly主要 in British university towns like Oxford or Cambridge出現在像牛津或劍橋這樣的英國大學城裡. There在那裡, students學生 call the local residents townies把當地居民叫做 townies, and而 the locals當地人 call the students something less polite back也會回叫學生一個不太客氣的稱呼. It它 is是 the old 'town and gown' split老掉牙的「town and gown」（城與袍）之分 —— the university on one side大學是一邊, the ordinary town on the other一般城鎮是另一邊 —— and而 'townie' 「townie」 is是 the students' side of it學生那一邊的說法. Same shape of word同樣的字形結構: us in here我們在這裡面, them out there他們在外面.

And sometimes, in some parts of Britain, townie just means a rough young person who hangs around the town centre. Which use you are meeting depends entirely on who is speaking. If a farmer says it, they mean the city person; if a student says it, they probably mean a local.

And sometimes有時候, in some parts of Britain在英國有些地方, townie townie just means就只是指 a rough young person一個粗野年輕人 who hangs around the town centre在鎮中心晃來晃去的. Which use you are meeting你遇到的是哪一種用法 depends entirely on完全要看 who is speaking是誰在說. If a farmer says it如果是農夫說的, they mean他指的是 the city person城市人; if a student says it如果是學生說的, they probably mean他大概指的是 a local當地人.

One last thing: a person can say it about themselves, and then it is warm rather than sharp. 'I'm a townie, I admit it — I've never even seen a sheep close up.' Turning the word on yourself takes the sting out of it. That is a very common English move.

One last thing最後一件事: a person一個人 can say it about themselves也可以用這個字說自己, and而 then it is warm rather than sharp這時候它就是溫暖的，而不是尖銳的. 'I'm a townie, I admit it — I've never even seen a sheep close up.' 「I'm a townie, I admit it — I've never even seen a sheep close up.」 Turning the word on yourself把這個字用在自己身上 takes the sting out of it就能把它的刺拔掉. That這 is是 a very common English move英文裡很常見的一招.