The Fine City
9
7.5
A nickname for Norwich in England for its beautiful old buildings and lively arts
- proper noun
:
La Ciudad Bonita
Surface Forms
The Fine City main
Morphology
The components 'fine' + 'city' transparently convey the descriptive sense 'a beautiful/pleasant city', so a B1 learner who knows the words would grasp the general meaning. However, the phrase's status as a conventional nickname specifically referring to Norwich (a fixed proper-name usage) cannot be derived from the constituents alone, so the referential, idiomatic aspect is not fully predictable.
Etymology
The Fine City may come from visitors and writers who praised Norwich for its many pretty buildings, old churches and lively arts. The image of a fine 'beautiful' city stuck in people's minds, so today the name means Norwich's beauty and culture.