local color: Meaning and Definition of

lo'cal col'or

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. distinctive, sometimes picturesque characteristics or peculiarities of a place or period as represented in literature or drama, or as observed in reality.
  2. the natural color of a particular object as it appears in normal light.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.