Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe modern university towns. The metaphor is historical in its connotation but continues to be used in the literature on urban higher education and in common parlance.
Read more about Town And Gown: Origin of The Term, Town-and-gown Relations in The Post-medieval and Modern Eras, Post-1960s: Changing Climate, Changing Issues
Famous quotes containing the words town and/or gown:
“You should study the Peerage, Gerald. It is the one book a young man about town should know thoroughly, and it is the best thing in fiction the English have ever done.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“Find out the peaceful hermitage,
The hairy gown and mossy cell,
Where I may sit and rightly spell
Of every star that heaven doth show,
And every herb that sips the dew;
Till old experience do attain
To something like prophetic strain.
These pleasures Melancholy give,
And I with thee will choose to live.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)