local colour

British  

noun

1. the characteristic features or atmosphere of a place or time

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Example Sentences

Sounds, smells, sights, people, the feel of the sidewalk underfoot, everything is present – with less garbage though, and the rats are entirely sanitary and put in for local colour.

From The Guardian

Accounts of his travels in search of literary origins—from the ruins of Troy to the Istanbul of Orhan Pamuk, from the jungles of southern Mexico in search of a Zapatista rebel called Subcomandante Marcos to the island of St Lucia to commune with Derek Walcott—provide local colour but rarely any piercing insights.

From Economist

He had chosen Ford and Aly as local colour for his prepared shtick, a routine that he could have done just about anywhere.

From The Guardian

San Sebastian is now a gastronomic capital, with a winning combination of beaches, Basque cuisine and local colour.

From BBC

Wherever it settled, it took on local colour, but what it reflected was the unique Andalusian mix of Arab, Jewish, Christian and Berber influences.

From Economist