I hear it all the time in American films, TV series and games
eg ‘ It’s round the block’ ‘It’s a couple of blocks from here’
but what exactly does it mean?
6 Answers
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In relation to your question a block would mean a street, so your answers are correct. There is also another word which uses the word bloc, and it’s a wooden block, also to block somebody means to stop a person from doing something
Hope this helps
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In many cities in the US, the downtown areas are laid out in a grid pattern. Manhattan Island in New York City is an even grid, with each “block” measuring 1/10th of a mile by 1/4 of a mile. Nearly the entirety of Chicago is laid out in a rigid grid pattern with each block measuring 1/8 x 1/8 of a mile. Outside of the downtown areas, grid patterns tend to be much more relaxed, and even disappear entirely, so outside of downtown areas, “two blocks away” is much less precise a measurement than it would be downtown. Some of the oldest cities, like Boston, were never laid out on a grid, and have the same type of chaotic random jumble of streets like London. Some of the newer cities, like Los Angeles, are actually conglomerations of smaller cities that gradually grew into each other instead of being swallowed up by a growing center-city, and as such consist of dozens of different and incompatible grid patterns stuck up against each other, causing nearly as much chaos as the street pattern of Boston or London.
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couple of blocks from here is couple of streets from here
around the block is around the corner
also been around (the block) means experienced (often sexually). She’s been around the block and knows what she’s doing in bed.
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Distance from one street to the next parallel street. It’s usually used in downtown areas where the streets are laid in a grid pattern.
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down the street, a few streets away, close by.
hope i helped!