good ole boy
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɡʊd oʊl bɔɪ/
- Slur
:
[Ofensivo: hombre blanco sureño, conservador y partidario del amiguismo]
- The politician relied on his connections with the good ole boys to secure support from the community.
- good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey
Examples
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In other words, unless you're a "good ole boy or gal," you haven't got a hope in hell of getting involved in the BBC Trust.
Blog text (8) -
This is also a note of gratitude that we, the women of this country, are able to pursue that which was once closed to us: boardrooms, political seats, good ole' boy country clubs, and the battlefield.
Blog text (9) -
And them good ole boys
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So, some good ole boys will just be good old boys, is that it?
Blog text (8) -
The picture in the LA Times does show him as a "good ole boy," as some people from his old diocese have said of him.
Blog text (32) -
Men couldn't begrudge him much because he was such a good ole boy.
Fiction book (1996) -
I don't know who had what on whom, but the rest of the good ole boys in the upper chambers of the university are no better.
Blog text (32) -
As a denomination, TEC seems to have become a good ole boys' club where only progressives are invited and accepted.
Blog text (1) -
Absent unions, these "right" people quite often turn out to be the beneficiaries of a "good ole boy" system that rewards "who," not "what" they know.
Blog text (1) -
Where were they when we had a conservative named Gov. Sarah Palin who had an interest in running, but the good ole' boys club wouldn't support her?
Blog text (8)
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'good' + dialectal 'ole' (old) + 'boy', so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to a friendly or familiar man. However, the distinct US Southern, socio-cultural and sometimes derogatory connotations (patronage, conservative in-group loyalty) are language- and culture-specific and not predictable from the parts, so full meaning requires exposure.
Etymology
Good ole boy may come from men in the American South calling each other good, ole, boy to mean a trusted old friend. So today it often means a local man who is seen as 'friendly' and loyal to his group, but it can be used in a negative way to say he is 'old-fashioned' or not open to others.