Meaning & use
not from these parts
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
used to say that someone was born or lives somewhere else, not in the area you are talking about.
Grammar: Used after be, as in 'He's not from these parts'; the phrase never changes form.
Patterns
- someone is not from these parts
- someone isn't from these parts
You can tell she's not from these parts because she keeps asking where the market is.
Sorry, I can't help you with directions — I'm not from these parts myself.
He's not from these parts, but he's lived here long enough to know everyone.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
used to say that something does not belong to or come from the local area.
Grammar: Used after be when the subject is a thing, usually in speech rather than writing.
Patterns
- something is not from these parts
That plant is not from these parts; someone must have planted it in the garden.
This accent is not from these parts, so people often ask him where he grew up.
Common combinations
- not from these parts
- She's not from these parts, so she gets lost easily.
- not from around here
- I'm not from around here, so I had to use a map.
- a stranger to these parts
- He was a stranger to these parts when he first arrived.
- not from this area
- They're not from this area, but they visit every summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- not from around here
- Almost the same meaning and the more common modern choice, especially in American English.
- a stranger here
- Focuses on the person not knowing the place rather than on where they were born.
- an outsider
- A noun, not a phrase; it can sound unfriendly, suggesting someone who does not belong.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: not from these parts or not from these parts? not from these parts or apart?
not from these parts vs not from these parts
Do not confuse with 'not from these parties', which makes no sense; the word is 'parts' meaning areas.
not from these parts vs apart
'Apart' means separated, as in 'they live apart'; 'parts' here means regions of a place.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase follows 'be' and describes a person's origin, so 'She is not from these parts' fits. Option 0 is odd because the phrase is used about people, not machines. Option 2 wrongly adds a past time word to a present-tense phrase. Option 3 omits 'is', which the phrase requires.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “not from these parts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.