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Glite Dictionary
🧓 A very old man 👨‍👦 One's father 👴 An older man 💼 A boss 🌿 A bitter herb
old man

old man

39 8.0
A slang word for a workplace boss
  • noun
  • Slang
translation icon : jefe
  • "But," said the old man, "we have the duty to support you."
  • called the old man

Examples

  • Whenever I need guidance at work, I always turn to my old man for advice.

  • Better get the old man down here.

    WarGames (1983)

  • I have as much respect for the master as anyone, old man, but I'm master now.

    Dragonslayer (1981)

  • "When I first came to Prentiss, I went to work for old man Scott."

    Fiction book (1993)

  • And this must be why the old man had summoned him so urgently.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The technician consulted the old man for approval before making changes to the project.

  • The team was waiting for the old man to finalize the budget before moving forward with the plan.

Antonyms

junior
99 2.4

Having lower rank or less experience than another person

subordinate
38 4.6

A person with a lower job rank who follows another's orders

Surface Forms

old man singular
old men plural

Morphology

old + man

The compound 'old man' as the name of the herb (Artemisia abrotanum) has no predictable relation to the literal meanings of 'old' (elderly) and 'man' (adult male). A B1 learner who knows the constituents would interpret it as referring to an elderly male, not a plant name, so the botanical sense is lexicalized and not compositionally derivable.

Etymology

Old man as slang for a boss comes from workers calling the person in charge 'the old man'. The idea of someone who decides and watches over work made the phrase mean 'boss' or 'superior'.