old boy
4
7.2
- noun
- Informal
- This old boy's some doer.
- a good old boy
- old-boy network
Examples
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Well, I figured whatever the old boy got, the judge would suspend sentence.
-
I sure do miss the old boy.
-
- So, the old boy knew me?
-
The old boy should give you the ship as a birthday present, Tom.
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And he is one rough old boy.
-
The old boy's striking it rich again.
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Even at his age, the old boy still plays tennis every weekend.
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He's quite the old boy; always dancing and telling stories at the gatherings.
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Despite his years, the old boy has a spirit that keeps him active and moving.
Synonyms
34
8.1
An informal, loving name for a grandfather
16
8.2
A friendly name people use for an older man in Britain
14
7.2
A polite name for an older man who people respect for his wisdom
13
8.8
A joking, slightly rude name for an old man
9
2.1
An old small man who many people like
6
7.7
An older man who is your grandfather or a kind male relative
5
8.4
A man who is elderly, a bit strange, and often grumpy
3
7.6
A person who is clearly past middle age
1
9.9
A friendly name for an old man used in Ireland
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituent 'old' can be interpreted as 'former' and 'boy' as a male person, so a learner could infer 'a man who used to be a pupil'. However, the phrase is a conventional British institutional label (often implying alumni of certain private schools) and relies on a colloquial use of 'boy' for adults, so the exact social nuance is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Old boy may come from calling a man old for his years but boy to show he still acts young and playful. That's why the phrase can mean 'an elderly man who is lively'.