Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wrong side of the tracks

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.37 in modern English

Syllables: wrong side of the -tracks
IPA

37

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

2

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The part of town that is not inhabited by the wealthy. An area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.

Example Sentences

"He grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, but he made a success of himself."
"An arc electric light has been put toward the north side of the depot, […] As one gentleman expressed it, the people can more quickly see that they are on the "wrong side of the track.""
"“Can you come over to the wrong side of the tracks?” she asked, an amused dryness underscoring the delivery of that question. “Always.” “I was, of course, referring to geographical matters. You live in the more chic part of Kreuzberg.”"
"Mr. McKenzie rose to prominence in the early 2000s playing Ryan Atwood, a brooding, musclebound teenager from the wrong side of the tracks who moves in with a wealthy family in Newport Beach, Calif."

Etymology

Originated from municipalities where the sections were divided by railway tracks.

Inflected Forms

wrong sides of the tracks (plural)

Phrases

get up on the wrong side of the bed

Frequently Paired Words

get up on the wrong side of the bed

Synonyms

other side of the tracks wrong side of town

Questions

What does wrong side of the tracks mean?: The part of town that is not inhabited by the wealthy. An area where the working class, poor or extremely poor live.
Where does wrong side of the tracks come from?: Originated from municipalities where the sections were divided by railway tracks.

How to pronounce wrong side of the tracks

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