Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain phrases used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them as well. I’m Feifei.
Beth And I’m Beth. How are you, Feifei?
Feifei I’m very well, thank you. The expression we’re looking at in this programme is something your friend said to you recently, isn’t it? It’s ‘stomping ground’.
Beth It is, yes. So, I recently went to Newcastle, that’s in the north of England, and I told a friend about my trip and she said, “that’s my stomping ground”. Now, she goes there a lot because it’s where her grandparents live, but I had no idea.
Feifei So, she means she is very familiar with Newcastle. ‘Stomping ground’ is a place. To break it down, ‘stomp’ means to walk with heavy steps [stomping sounds] and ground is the floor. ‘Stomping ground’ means a place you live in or spend a lot of time in. Imagine a place you’ve walked in a lot, just like your friend. So, for example, I went back to my hometown for a holiday recently, and I walked past my primary school, which used to be my stomping ground, and it brought a lot of childhood memories.
Beth Aw, lovely.
Feifei Beth, can we use ‘stomping ground’ for any kind of place?
Beth Well, it does need to be a place that you have a personal connection to. So, another example. I recently saw a picture of the park that I used to play in when I was young, and they’ve changed everything. The climbing frame’s different, the swings are different, and I thought “oh, that was my stomping ground as a kid and it’s all different".
Feifei Oh, what a shame.
Beth Here are some more examples of ‘stomping ground’.
ExamplesI went to the local pub with my brother at the weekend. It was our stomping ground back in the day.
Wow! Imagine seeing you here! I didn’t know you lived near here. This is my stomping ground.
I went back to my university town the other week. It was nice to walk around the old stomping ground.
Beth Now, ‘stomping ground’ is often said in reaction to a place that someone mentions, and it can be used when you’re surprised. Now, when it’s somewhere you used to visit a lot, we can say ‘old stomping ground’, like we heard in that last example.
Feifei So, for example, if I tell you I recently went to Liverpool…
Beth Did you? That’s my old stomping ground! I went to university there. So, to recap, we’ve learnt the expression ‘stomping ground’ which means a place you live in or have visited often.
Feifei And that’s all from us. We’ll be back next time with another useful English phrase. See you then!
Beth Bye!