page_title: List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom
section_title: O
hierarchical_section_title: List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom / O
caption_attribution_description: English: An aerial view of the old city centre of Oxford, England.
context_page_description: This partial list of city nicknames in the United Kingdom compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in the United Kingdom are known by, officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.
  Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" are also believed to have economic value. Their economic value is difficult to measure, but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.
  Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.
context_section_description: Oxford
  "The City of Dreaming Spires" – a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings.
caption: An aerial view of Oxford city centre, showing some of the spires that give the city its nickname.
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