key of the street
- noun
- Slang
:
conocimiento de la calle
- She credits her success to the key of the street she learned growing up in the city.
Examples
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Many believe that surviving in tough neighborhoods requires more than luck—it takes the key of the street.
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Without the key of the street, he found it difficult to fit in with his peers.
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Knowing the key of the street can help you fit in.
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What is the key of the street in this neighborhood?
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She credits her success to the key of the street she learned growing up in the city.
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Many believe that surviving in tough neighborhoods requires more than luck—it takes the key of the street.
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Without the key of the street, he found it difficult to fit in with his peers.
Synonyms
6
5.6
Knowing how to stay safe and avoid danger in a city
Learning practical skills and wisdom from life and real problems rather than from school
How Streetwise
- Slang
- Informal
6
5.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'vital knowledge needed to navigate street/urban life' is directly built from 'key' (fundamental, essential) combined with the domain marker 'of the' + 'street' (urban milieu), so the overall sense is compositionally predictable. Although slightly colloquial, it follows the common 'key to/of X' pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The phrase key of the street comes from the image of a physical key that opens doors on the street. If you have that 'key', the right skills, friends and local knowledge, you can move safely and get things done, so it means 'vital knowledge to survive and succeed in city life'.