# not in Kansas anymore

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/not-in-kansas-anymore
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

No longer in quiet and comfortable surroundings.

## Examples

- We moved to the city and we're not in Kansas anymore.
- You are not in Kansas anymore now that you work at this busy hospital.
- After leaving her small town for Tokyo, she realized she was not in Kansas anymore.
- When the intern walked into the high-stakes boardroom meeting, the aggressive tone made him realize he was not in Kansas anymore.
- After years of working in a quiet library, starting a job at a loud construction site felt like I was not in Kansas anymore.
- The moment he stepped off the train into the chaos of the metropolis, he knew he was not in Kansas anymore.

## Origin

The phrase originates in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, spoken by the character Dorothy to her dog, Toto. The line, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” is delivered as the pair transitions from their monochromatic home to the vibrant, unfamiliar setting of Oz. While the script marks the arrival in a specific fictional geography, the wording has persisted in English as a standard observation for the loss of the familiar.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.