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old school

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: old-school and oldschool

English

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WOTD – 24 January 2025

Etymology

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The noun is derived from old +‎ school (“followers of a particular doctrine; particular doctrine or way of thinking”),[1] probably a shortening of old school of thinking, old school of thought, or some similar phrase.

The adjective is derived from the attributive form of the noun.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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old school (uncountable) (idiomatic)

  1. Preceded by the: a group of people characterized by being conservative or traditional; also, a method for accomplishing a task, a style, or a way of thinking that was employed in a former era, remembered either for its inferiority to the current method, or for its superiority over the new way.
    Antonym: new school
    Family experts are advocating a change away from the old school, advising parents not to medicate behavioural problems.
    My mom’s a good baker because she’s of the old school. She’d never buy ready-made cookie dough.
    • 1749, [Alain-René Lesage], “Gil Blas Sets Out for the Asturias; Passes through Valladolid, where He Visits His Old Master Doctor Sangrado, and Meets, by Accident, with Signior Manuel Ordonnez, Director of the Hospital.”, in [Tobias George Smollett], transl., The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, volume IV, London: […] J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, book X, page 6:
      [A]s I am grand nephevv to a phyſician of the old ſchool, give me leave to revolt vvith you againſt chymical medicines. […] I vvould vvillingly perform the office of executioner to theſe ignorant innovators, of vvhom you complain vvith ſuch eloquence and juſtice.
    • 1906 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “The Doctor’s Dilemma”, in The Doctor’s Dilemma, Getting Married, & The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet, London: Constable and Company, published 1911, →OCLC, Act I, page 23:
      Aha! Haha! Did I hear from the fireside armchair the bow-wow of the old school defending its drugs? Ah, believe me, Paddy, the world would be healthier if every chemist's shop in England were demolished.
    • 1915, Thomas Burke, “An Entertainment Night: Round the Halls”, in Nights in Town: A London Autobiography, London: George Allen & Unwin […], page 44:
      Pathetic as its passing is, one cannot honestly regret the old school. I was looking last night at the programme of my very first hall, and received a terrible shock to my time-sense. Where are the snows of yesteryear? Where are the entertainers of 1895?
    • 1951 April, Stirling Everard, “A Matter of Pedigree”, in The Railway Magazine, number 600, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 274:
      The amount of external pipework is also unusual in a British locomotive, though apparent in the most recent L.M.S.R. designs, such as the Class "4" 2-6-0s; but while lacking the tidiness of the old school of British locomotive engineering, this has obvious application for maintenance purposes in present circumstances.
  2. (music) A style of popular music regarded as more old-fashioned or traditional, or not following newer trends; specifically (often old skool), hip-hop or rap music of the late 1970s and 1980s (or more recent music of this style) as contrasted with newer styles of such music.
    • 1992 October 5, The Invisible Man, “[W]hat is all this fake shit”, in alt.rap‎[1] (Usenet):
      Rap is not one particular thing. Just like there are many different types of music, there are different types of rap. Hardcore, like Ice Cube, or OldSchool, like the Sugarhill Gang, are two facets on the gem we call hip hop.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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old school (comparative more old school, superlative most old school) (idiomatic)

  1. Now often old-school: characteristic of a method for accomplishing a task, a style, or a way of thinking that was employed in a former era, remembered either for its inferiority to the current method, or for its superiority over the new way.
    (positive sense): Synonym: (US, slang) OG
    (negative sense): Synonyms: outdated, out of date, out of fashion; see also Thesaurus:obsolete, Thesaurus:unfashionable
    Antonyms: new school, new-school
    That teacher’s old-school methods aren’t effective. They’re just annoying.
    Man, I love that jacket; it’s so old school.
    • 1962 November, “Talking of Trains: The One-day Strike”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 291:
      Many railway officers complain that the deep interest of the old-school railwaymen in their job is dying; the B.T.C.'s new approach seems calculated to hasten its death and breed thousands more time-servers.
    • 2019 October 23, Pip Dunn, “The Next King of Scotland”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 51:
      The seat reservations are also old-school, with labels in the back of seats.
  2. (music) Of or relating to a style of popular music regarded as more old-fashioned or traditional, or not following newer trends; specifically (often old skool), of or relating to hip-hop or rap music of the late 1970s and 1980s (or more recent music of this style) as contrasted with newer styles of such music.
    Antonyms: new school, new-school, newskool, new skool, nu skool
    • 1995 April 14, ed [pseudonym], “Low Down on New Tunes dropping soon”, in rec.music.hip-hop‎[2] (Usenet):
      Also look out for a PHAT PHAT oldskool style tune on Jemini [the Gifted One]'s album set to drop in the next couple of weeks. It uses the Love Unlimited 'Strange Games and Things' break, and comes on with the old skool rhymes believe …
  3. (US, Christianity, politics) Chiefly in the form Old School: having conservative or traditional views on Christianity or politics.
    • 1816, “an Old Scene Painter” [pseudonym], The Emigrant’s Guide; or, A Picture of America: […], London: […] W[illiam] Clowes, […] for W[illiam] Simpkin and R[ichard] Marshall, […], →OCLC, footnote *, page 17:
      Local politicians assume various appellations, such as New School and Old School Democrats, Snyderites, Clintonians, and many others, mostly derived from the name or principles of some popular demagogue.
    • 1862 (date written), Ida Husted Harper, quoting Theodore Tilton, “Mob Experience—Civil War. 1861–1862.”, in The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony […], volume I, Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.: The Bowen-Merrill Company, published 1899, →OCLC, page 218:
      [W]e both agree that you are defrauding some honest man of his just due. I recommend that you form an acquaintance, with a view to prospective results for life, with some well-settled, Old-School Presbyterian clergyman, and send me some of the cake.
      Quoted from a humorous letter from Tilton to Susan B. Anthony.

Alternative forms

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Descendants

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  • → German: oldschool

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “old school, n. and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “old school, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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