the talk of the block

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

foxnews.com/imag/At+Home/8+S … ecue+Musts
Summer is right around the corner, which means the beach, the sun and of course backyard barbecues! From killer food and drinks to music and games, summer parties are all about casual fun. So how can you ensure your guests will have a blast? Make sure your parties are [color=red]the talk of the [color=brown]block with these eight tips!

oxfordadvancedlearnersdictio … ary/talk_2
the talk of something
the person or thing that everyone is talking about in a particular place

  • Overnight, she became [color=violet]the talk of the town (= very famous).

oxfordadvancedlearnersdictio … nary/block
block
3 [countable] a group of buildings with streets on all sides

  • She took the dog for a walk around the [color=blue]block.

Do [color=brown]block and [color=blue]block mean the same thing?
Do [color=violet]the talk of and [color=red]the talk of mean the same thing?

2

Yes, and yes. :slight_smile:

3

Thank you, B.

Make sure your parties are the talk of the block with these eight tips!

Does this mean “Make sure these eight tips help your parties become well known in your neighborhood”?

4

More precisely, it means to make sure they are popular and draw attention.

5

Hi Tofu,

Yes, indeed and also that your parties will be celebrated and become famous. In my corner of the world the more common expression is ‘talk of the town.’

Alan

6

Thank you, Alan and Mordant.

guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ma … esignation
Not surprisingly the news has become the talk of Texas.

the news has become the talk of Texas
This means “the news has become so well known in Texas that everyone there is talking about that,” doesn’t it?

7

Thank you, Mordant.
Does it depend on the context whether “the talk of something” has a positive or negative connotation? Is “the talk of something” always a good thing?

8

Hi Tofu,

It usually has a positive sense.

Alan