Town and Gown
Preserved but no longer current.
The two sections of a university town; composed of those who are not attached to the university and those who are; hence, a town and gown row, a collision, often leading to a fight, between the students and non-gownsmen. Cp. PHILISTINES.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Town and Gown” mean?
The two sections of a university town; composed of those who are not attached to the university and those who are; hence, a town and gown row, a collision, often leading to a fight, between the students and non-gownsmen. Cp. PHILISTINES.
Is “Town and Gown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.