# Do you say, "In the bushes" to refer to small towns? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754 "2012-05-22T20:37:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/21 "2012-05-22T21:54:47Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’ve heard “in the weeds” to refer to a project that has gone off track, but not to mean a remote location. This goes further afield from the main issue, but when someone is without a clue, a golf idiom that works well is “like a lost ball in high weeds.” (I’ve been known to use that one away from the golf course, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/22 "2012-05-22T22:04:02Z")
Wasington, Colorado & Georgia–never heard of the plural form. “Bush” is typically some kind of wildernes. Bush"es" refers to a specific (by context) patch of overgrowth. “I lost my rifle somewhere in the bush” “Dang, tough luck bro.” “I lost my rifle somewhere in the bushes.” “Well let’s go find it. Which bushes? Shouldn’t take long” As for me, I lost my virginity in the bush. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/23 "2012-05-22T22:09:53Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > This goes further afield from the main issue, but when someone is without a clue, a golf idiom that works well is “like a lost ball in high weeds.” (I’ve been known to use that one away from the golf course, too.) Now that you mention it, it does sound like a golfing metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/24 "2012-05-22T23:18:44Z")
Although I have heard and used the term (or the variant “in the bush”), more commonly I hear and use variants like “sticks”, “boonies”, “boondocks”, and “weeds”. Also, I wouldn’t use it for small towns, but rather for rural areas, like someone who lives on a low population country road, or at most, a small collection of houses and stores at a crossroads that’s otherwise in the middle of nowhere. But that’s mainly because I grew up living in the sticks outside a \<20k bush-league town. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/25 "2012-05-22T23:33:09Z")
Nope, never heard it. The closest would be “out in the bush”, but I’ve always understood that to refer to outright wilderness, not small towns. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/26 "2012-05-22T23:35:25Z")
Another vote for “out in the sticks” or “out in the boonies”. But I’ve never heard “out in the bushes” except to describe something that was literally in a bush. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/27 "2012-05-22T23:53:53Z")
I say “outer fucking boonie land.” An elderly friend of mine (God rest him) used to say, “out where Christ lost his shoes.” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/28 "2012-05-23T00:39:41Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > As for me, I lost my virginity in the bush. 😃 I was always told that one in the hand was worth two in the bush, but given your context that equation seems at least backwards. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/29 "2012-05-23T00:48:21Z")
Sticks, boonies, boofoo, boofoo Egypt, BF Egypt, BFE, buttfuck nowhere, buttfuck Egypt, bumblefuck are the expressions I’m familiar with. Never heard of “out in the bushes.” ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/30 "2012-05-23T01:25:44Z")
The only people I’d expect to find out in the bushes are Peeping Toms. I’ve heard “in the sticks”, “in the boondocks”, “in the boonies” and some more specifically Australian ones like “the back of beyond”, “beyond the black stump”, and “the arse end of nowhere” (or “the arse end of the world”). ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/31 "2012-05-23T01:27:59Z")
Never heard that. We say ‘the boonies’, ‘the wop wops’ or ‘back of beyond’. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/32 "2012-05-23T01:31:59Z")
The small villages in rural alaska are refered to as “The Bush.”. As in, “he’s flying out to The Bush tonight.” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/33 "2012-05-23T01:39:00Z")
Just thought of a couple expressions/sayings that mostly fit the theme: 1. Plumnelly – plum out of town and nelly out of the world 2. It’s not the end of the world but you can see that from there ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/34 "2012-05-23T01:49:37Z")
In Australia we use **the bush** to mean rural areas. For really remote areas we’d say **the sticks** , **the boondocks/boonies** , **the back blocks** , or the more old-fashioned **beyond the black stump** or **back’a’bourke**. I’ve never heard of “out in the bushes” being used in that kind of context. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/35 "2012-05-23T02:13:06Z")
Heading “out bush” or “out to the sticks” is common where I am in Australia. Going “in the bushes” is what you do when you want some privacy for certain bodily functions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/36 "2012-05-23T03:13:10Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Going “in the bushes” is what you do when you want some privacy for certain bodily functions. 🙂 On Car Talk they call that “needing an urgent haircut.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/37 "2012-05-23T03:17:46Z")
Another vote for “sticks.” Never heard “bushes.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/38 "2012-05-23T03:38:39Z")
Never heard of “bushes” but would have guessed it came from baseball. I’ve always heard “sticks” or “boonies,” but that’s really for sparsely populated rural areas. For small towns, I think I’ve always used “Podunk” or “Bumfuck.” ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/39 "2012-05-23T03:43:26Z")
I’m another one that has always heard “sticks.” I’m a little surprised that nobody has mentioned one of the most famous headlines in history– “Sticks Nix Hick Pix” > **[Sticks Nix Hick Pix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticks_nix_hick_pix)** > > "Sticks Nix Hick Pix" is a famous headline printed in Variety, a newspaper covering Hollywood and the entertainment industry, on July 17, 1935, over an article about the reaction of rural audiences to movies about rural life. Variety was known for its playful use of Broadway and Hollywood jargon to pack as much meaning as possible into a small headline or article; examples include "H'wood" and "biz". > Using a form of headlinese that the newspaper called "slanguage", "Sticks Nix Hick Pix" means th... ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754/40 "2012-05-23T05:41:48Z")
“The toolies” or “East Jesus” for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-say-in-the-bushes-to-refer-to-small-towns/622754.md?page=3)