old stick
1
9.6
- noun
- Offensive
:
carca
- People often see her as an old stick because she prefers traditional ways.
Examples
-
She wasn't such a bad old stick.
-
Just the same old stick-in-the-mud you've always known me to be. Damn Walter, he was always looking for some big story, some action.
Fiction book (1999) -
They were very modern there, forward-looking, and they would think he was a silly old stick.
Fiction book (1999) -
Edward is such an old stick in the mud that he never wants to try anything new.
-
My grandfather is such an old stick that he still uses a flip phone.
Synonyms
65
7.6
Someone whose habits or style are old-fashioned
20
5.6
A person who holds strongly to old customs and resists change
10
9.9
An old person who is often grumpy and unfriendly
6
9.7
A person who is old-fashioned and dislikes new ideas
4
9.9
A person with old-fashioned ideas who refuses to change
2
8.2
A person who prefers old ways and does not like change
1
8.3
A person who does not like new things or change
A person who refuses to accept new ideas or technology
A person who prefers traditional ways and customs
A person who refuses to change their mind or actions
Antonyms
How Old-Fashioned
8
8.6
- Offensive
1
8.3
- Offensive
6
9.7
- Offensive
1
9.6
∞
4.6
20
5.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
old + stick
The literal meanings of 'old' (elderly) and 'stick' (a piece of wood) do not directly yield 'old-fashioned, resistant to change'; the phrase relies on a figurative sense where 'stick' suggests stiffness or being stuck (relatable to 'stick-in-the-mud'). This metaphorical extension is partially guessable but depends on colloquial knowledge, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituents would likely not fully predict the sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Old stick may come from the picture of a dry, stiff stick that cannot bend. People compared someone who will not change to that hard stick, so old stick means 'old-fashioned' or 'resistant to change'.