Definition

1. Noun:
   • A former male pupil of a school: A man who is a former student of a particular school, especially a private school.
   • A vivacious elderly man: A cheerful, lively, and energetic older man.
   • A familiar term of address for a man: An informal, often friendly, way to address a man whose name one does not know or to refer to a male friend.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Former Pupil):

  • The university's annual dinner is always attended by many old boys.
  • He's an old boy of Eton, so he has many connections.

• Noun (Elderly Man):

  • At 85, he's a real old boy, still playing tennis every week.
  • My grandfather was a cheerful old boy who loved telling stories.

• Noun (Term of Address):

  • "Come on, old boy, cheer up!" he said to his friend.
  • The taxi driver said, "Where to, old boy?"

Advanced Usage

• "The old boy network": An informal system where men who attended the same expensive private schools or universities use their connections to help each other, especially in business or politics.
  • He got the job through the old boy network, not because of his qualifications.

Variants and Related Words

• Old girl (n): The female equivalent, referring to a former female pupil or, informally, an elderly woman or a term of address.
  • She's an old girl of this college.

Synonyms

• Alumnus: A former student of a particular school (more formal synonym for the 'former pupil' sense).
• Chap / Fellow: Informal terms for a man (synonyms for the 'term of address' sense).
• Codger / Geezer: Informal, sometimes slightly derogatory, terms for an old man (partial synonyms for the 'elderly man' sense, but without the inherent positive connotation of vivacity).

Related Phrases

• Good old boy: (Primarily US English) A man from a traditional background in the southern US, who enjoys hunting, fishing, etc., and is part of a local social network.
  • The good old boys met at the diner every morning.

Related Idioms

• "One of the old boys": A phrase meaning someone is part of a longstanding, often exclusive, group.
  • You can trust him; he's one of the old boys.

Noun

1. a former male pupil of a school
2. a vivacious elderly man
3. a familiar term of address for a man