the big smoke

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an informal term for a large city, especially a capital city, used colloquially in British, Irish, and Australian English; originally referred to London's famously polluted 19th and early 20th century atmosphere; in Australian and Irish usage it is applied affectionately or ironically to the nearest major city — Sydney, Melbourne, Dublin — by people from smaller towns or rural areas who regard the metropolis as simultaneously exciting and overwhelming