Meaning of the English Idioms ‘Back Street’ and ‘Back Alley’
A back street is a small quiet street in an older or poorer part of town; a street away from the main part of town; a less prominent or inferior location; a dark out of the way street where illegal dealings or clandestine meetings take place.
An alley is a narrow passage behind or between buildings. The same terms used to describe a back street can be used to describe a back alley.
Back alleys are thought of as dangerous dark places. The kind of places one is likely to be mugged.
Back alley is also used as an adjective, as in ‘back alley politics.’ Used this way, back alley means unethical, sordid, clandestine, or of a scheming and dishonest nature.
Back street is often spelled as one word: backstreet.
Back alley is always spelled as two words, although it is sometimes hyphenated.
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Examples Of Use
“The refugees were living in a narrow, dirty backstreet among rats and refuse.”
“He spent his youth in the backstreets of the city and ended up in prison.”
“He led the police on an 80 mile per hour chase through the backstreets of town.”
“After associating himself with the type of back alley politicians that are more interested in their own gain than governing, he had a hard time pretending to be the voice of the people.”
“Try to avoid the back alleys and stay in the lighted areas and you’ll be safer.”
Origin
Back street and back alley have been used in English since at least the late 1800s.
The word back is used in the sense of ‘subsidiary or remote position.’
More Idioms Starting with B
More Alley Idioms
More Back Idioms
- Know Something Like the Back Of One’s Hand
- Run Back
- Behind Someone’s Back (to do something)
- Back in the Day
- Monkey On Your Back
More Street Idioms