8 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use old to express affection when talking to or about someone you know. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ Are you all right, old chap? □ Good old Bergen would do him the favor.
9 PHRASE You use any old to emphasize that the quality or type of something is not important. If you say that a particular thing is not any old thing, you are emphasizing how special or famous it is. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ He didn't want to make just any old china. He wanted to make the world's best.
10 PHRASE In the old days means in the past, before things changed. □ In the old days we got a visit from the vet maybe once a year.
11 PHRASE When people refer to the good old days , they are referring to a time in the past when they think that life was better than it is now. □ He remembers the good old days when you could leave your door open at night.
12 good old → see good
13 to settle an old score → see score
14 up to one's old tricks → see trick SYNONYMS old ADJ 1
elderly: …an elderly couple.
aged: She has an aged parent who's capable of being very difficult.
ageing: John lives with his ageing mother.
mature: …a man of mature years.
o ld a ge N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] Your old age is the period of years towards the end of your life. □ They worry about how they will support themselves in their old age.
o ld age pe n|sion (old age pensions ) also old-age pension N‑COUNT An old age pension is a regular amount of money that people receive from the government when they have retired from work. [BRIT ] in AM, use social security benefit , social security payment
o ld age pe n|sion|er (old age pensioners ) also old-age pensioner N‑COUNT An old age pensioner is a person who is old enough to receive a pension from their employer or the government. [BRIT ]
o ld ba t (old bats ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone refers to an old person, especially an old woman, as an old bat , they think that person is silly, annoying, or unpleasant. [INFORMAL , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ]
o ld boy (old boys ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a man who used to be a pupil at a particular school or university as an old boy . [BRIT ] □ …Eton College, with all its traditions and long list of famous old boys.
o ld-boy net|work (old-boy networks ) also old boy network N‑COUNT When people talk about the old-boy network , they are referring to a situation in which people who went to the same public school or university use their positions of influence to help each other. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The majority obtained their positions through the old boy network.
olde /oʊ ld/ ADJ [ADJ n] Olde is used in names of places and in advertising to make people think that something is very old and interesting. □ I always feel at home at Ye Olde Starre Inn.
old|en /oʊ ldən/ ADJ [ADJ n] If you refer to a period in the past as the olden days , you feel affection for it. [LITERARY ] □ We had a delightful time talking about the olden days on his farm. □ …the nicely painted railways of olden times. ● PHRASE In the olden days or in olden days means in the past. □ In the olden days the girls were married young.
olde worlde /oʊ ldi wɜː ldi/ ADJ Olde worlde is used to describe places and things that are or seem to be from an earlier period of history, and that look interesting or attractive. [BRIT ] □ …the quaint olde worlde part of town. □ There is an olde worlde look about the clothes for summer.
o ld-fa shioned
1 ADJ Something such as a style, method, or device that is old-fashioned is no longer used, done, or admired by most people, because it has been replaced by something that is more modern. □ The house was dull, old-fashioned and in bad condition. □ There are some traditional farmers left who still make cheese the old-fashioned way.
2 ADJ Old-fashioned ideas, customs, or values are the ideas, customs, and values of the past. □ She has some old-fashioned values and can be a strict disciplinarian. □ …good old-fashioned English cooking.
o ld fla me (old flames ) N‑COUNT An old flame is someone with whom you once had a romantic relationship. □ Sue was seen dating an old flame.
o ld girl (old girls ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a woman who used to be a pupil at a particular school or university as an old girl . [BRIT ] □ …the St Mary's Ascot Old Girls' Reunion Lunch.
O ld Glo |ry N‑UNCOUNT People sometimes refer to the flag of the United States as Old Glory . [AM ]
o ld gua rd N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] If you refer to a group of people as the old guard , you mean that they have worked in a particular organization for a very long time and are unwilling to accept new ideas or practices. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The old guard did not like the changes that Brewer introduced.
o ld ha nd (old hands ) N‑COUNT If someone is an old hand at something, they are very skilled at it because they have been doing it for a long time. □ [+ at ] An old hand at photography, Tim has been shooting wildlife as a hobby for the last 13 years.
o ld ha t → see hat
oldie /oʊ ldi/ (oldies )
1 N‑COUNT You can refer to something such as an old song or film as an oldie , especially when you think it is still good. [INFORMAL ] □ Radio Aire only plays Top 40 stuff and oldies. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Oldie is also an adjective. □ During the festival, we'll be showing 13 classic oldie films.
2 N‑COUNT You can use oldies to refer to fairly old people. [BRIT , HUMOROUS , INFORMAL ] □ …a lush English fairy tale that many oldies will remember from their youth.