ol' reliable
- noun
- /oʊl rɪˈlaɪəbl/
- Informal
:
el fiable
- In our group, Sarah is Ol' Reliable; she always delivers what she promises.
Examples
-
Me and Ol' Reliable will pick up the scent.
-
"I tells ya, Clem, that gooey black gunk will never replace a good ol' reliable ox.
Blog text (1) -
I have not listened to you witter on about "Ol' Reliable" for half of my short life just to see you quit when we need you!
-
Whenever I have a problem, I know I can count on Ol' Reliable to help me out.
-
During tough times, my friend has always been Ol' Reliable, never letting me down.
Synonyms
43
4.9
A person or thing people always choose for a certain need
12
7.6
A loyal and reliable person who supports a group
10
1.0
A person who always supports you and can be trusted
1
6.9
An experienced reliable person who has worked in a job for a long time
A horse or vehicle that you trust to carry you
How Reliable
- Informal
27
3.6
- Informal
358
2.7
47
2.3
304
2.0
- Informal
3
6.9
71
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
ol' + reliable
This is a transparent expression: "ol'" is a colloquial contraction of "old" and "reliable" retains its literal meaning, so the sense 'an old, dependable person or thing' is directly derivable from the parts. The informal spelling may slightly slow recognition, but a B1 learner who knows 'old' and 'reliable' should readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ol' reliable comes from people saying old as ol' and using the name for a horse, tool, or person that always does the job. Picture an old horse or an old truck that always works, and you can see why ol' reliable means 'dependable'.