word on the street
What they're saying
Word on the street is informal talk or rumor circulating among ordinary people—the prevailing gossip or opinion in a community.
It suggests information gathered from casual sources rather than official channels: Word on the street is they're shutting down the factory.
The phrase implies insider knowledge, though the information may be unreliable.
- talk of the townCurrent widespread gossip
- chatterLight, rapid speech
- water cooler talkInformal workplace chatter
- scuttlebuttInformal rumor or speculation
- buzzContinuous low drone
rumor · hearsay · gossip · vibe · pulse · grapevine · whisper · sentiment · public opinion · lowdown · consensus · speculation · skinny · conjecture · innuendo · urban legend · inside scoop · vernacular
- gossiprumor, rumors, gossip, hearsay, whisper
- insider infointel, insider tip, inside track, scoop, leak
word on the streetpress release
Official statement for media
on the record · formal declaration · party line · company line · authoritative source
word on the streethard evidence
gospel truth · certainty · scientific consensus · matter of record · incontrovertible evidence
word on the streetclassified information
Sensitive, access-restricted material
state secret · inside information · top secret · confidential source · privileged information
word, words, worded, wording, wordless, wordsmith, street, streets, stratum