In my home town (
Arlington, Massachusetts), a townie is a resident of the town who is all-important within the town borders, but is as helpless as a frightened child outside of it. Townies typically frequent the same
Dunkin' Donuts every morning, know every
police officer by his first name, have coached the same Peewee
hockey team for thirty years, and play poker with the Board of Selectmen. They are the kings of their
suburban world.
But ask them how to get anywhere in Lexington, and they stare blankly at you. These are the folks that have never been west of Worcester, cry about the impending doom of Fenway Park, and think everyone in Belmont is a rich prick and everyone in Cambridge is a criminal.