Good old boys

Good old boys

Good old boys or "good ole boys/good ol' boys" is an American slang term that can have both positive and negative meanings, depending on context and usage.

Complimentary Slang

The term can be used for well socialized men who live in rural and generally southern areas. If a man is humble and well thought of, he can be referred to as a "good old boy," regardless of his age. It is also commonly applied to men whose families have been well respected in the area for some time.

Pejorative Slang

It can be used as a pejorative term, referring someone who engages in cronyism among men who have known each other for a long period of time. Collectively these people are referred to using the slang term, Good ol' boy network.

In popular culture

"The Good Ole Boys" was also the name of a fictional country western band in the film "The Blues Brothers".

In 1974 Randy Newman released a song cycle centered on characters from the American South, "Good Old Boys".

The TV series, "The Dukes of Hazzard", followed the adventures of two good old boys, Bo and Luke Duke, living in an unincorporated area of the fictional Hazzard County, in Georgia, racing around in their modified 1969 Dodge Charger, "The General Lee", evading corrupt Boss Hogg and his inept county sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. Bo and Luke had been sentenced to probation for illegal transportation of moonshine. The theme song by Waylon Jennings refers to them as "just two good old boys."


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Good Old Boys — Album par Randy Newman Sortie 1974 Durée 33 : 28 Genre Rock Producteur Lenny Waronker Label Reprise …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Good Old Boys — Infobox Album Name = Good Old Boys Type = studio Longtype = / Concept album Artist = Randy Newman Released = September 10, 1974 Recorded = Genre = Rock Length = 33:28 Label = Reprise Records Producer = Lenny Waronker, Russ Titelman Reviews = *… …   Wikipedia

  • good old boy — noun a white male Southerner with an unpretentious convivial manner and conservative or intolerant attitudes and a strong sense of fellowship with and loyalty to other members of his peer group • Syn: ↑good ole boy, ↑good ol boy • Hypernyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • good old boy — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms good old boy : singular good old boy plural good old boys American informal a man who is considered typical of the social group to which he belongs, especially a white man from the southern US …   English dictionary

  • good old boy — AND good ole boy n. a good guy; a dependable companion. (Folksy.) □ Old Tom is a good old boy. He’ll help. □ One of these good ole boys will give you a hand …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • good-old-boy club system —  See old boys network / old boys network …   American business jargon

  • good-old-boy network —  See old boys network / old boys network …   American business jargon

  • Good ol' boy — is a slang term used, either to self identify as or to refer to a male, usually white and of Northern/Western European descent, who lives in a rural area and/or subscribes to a traditionally rural lifestyle. The term is generally thought to… …   Wikipedia

  • Sri Sumangala College Junior Old Boys' Association — HistorySri Sumangala College Junior Old Boys’ Association was formed in 1999 by an enthusiastic set of 10 old boys of Sri Sumangala College.The necessacity for a Junior OBA was two fold. All the leading school in Colombo and suburbs have not one… …   Wikipedia

  • Old and in the Gray — Studio album by Old and in the Way Released October 1, 2002 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”