CROWN COURT (=a court that deals with very serious crimes) in London, named after the street it is on. Many famous criminals have been judged there, including murderers and TRAITORS (=someone who helps an enemy country). On the roof there is a STATUE of a woman that represents justice. Her eyes are covered to show that she does not give special treatment to anyone, and she is holding a sword in one hand and a pair of SCALES (=a piece of equipment for weighing things) in the other, to show that the facts in cases will be judged fairly, and guilty people will be punished.
,Old 'Bill, the also the Bill n [P] BrE infml the police
'old boy (for 1), /·'/(for 2,3)/ n 1 BrE a man who is a former pupil of a school 2 also old chap/fellow/man — old-fash infml (used as a form of address to a male friend): I say, old boy, could you lend me a fiver? 3 infml an old man: the old boy from down the road.
'old-boy ,network [the] often derog 1 the system by which men who are former pupils of the same school, the same education system (especially of the English PUBLIC SCHOOLs), or the same wealthy families favour each other in later life and help each other to get jobs etc, usually in an unofficial way: He got where he is through the old-boy network. 2 [+sing./pl.v] the people who operate this system → compare OLD SCHOOL TIE
,Old Curi'osity ,Shop, The (1841) a novel by Charles DICKENS about a girl called LITTLE NELL and her grandfather, who are forced to leave their shop and give it to a cruel man called Quilp, because the grandfather owes him money. The scene at end of the book in which Little Nell dies is known for being very sad.
old·e /'əuldi/ adj often humor a spelling of old used (to give the feeling of being) in former times: ye olde tea shoppe
old·en /ˈəʊldən/ adj [A] especially old use past; long ago: in olden times
Ol-den-burg, Claes /ˈəʊldənbɪɡl-bɜːrɡ, klɔːs/ (1929-) a US SCULPTOR, born in Sweden, who is important in the POP ART movement and famous for his large SCULPTURES of small ordinary objects, often made of soft materials
,Old 'English written abbrev. OE n [U] the earliest form of English used from about AD 500 to 1050, also called Anglo-Saxon, which developed into MIDDLE ENGLISH
Old English 'Sheepdog BrE || English Sheepdog AmE — n a type of large dog with thick grey and white hair which is usually allowed to grow long and cover the eyes. It was formerly used to control sheep. → see picture at DOG
CULTURAL NOTE In the UK an Old English Sheepdog has appeared in advertisements for DULUX paint, and these dogs are sometimes called 'Dulux dogs' because of this.
,old-es'tablished adj [A] having existed, been in business etc for a long time: old-established merchant banks
Old E·to·ni·an /,əuld ir'təunian/ n BrE a man who attended ETON College (=a famous and expensive private school in England), usually someone from the highest class in British society
old·e world·e /,əuldi 'wɜːldɪdɪ-3:r-/ adj BrE infml, sometimes derog too consciously old-fashioned; QUAINT: an olde worlde country pub → compare OLD-WORLD
Old 'Faithful a large GEYSER in YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK in the northwestern US, which sends a stream of hot water high up into the air about once every hour
,old-'fashioned adj 1 once usual or fashionable but now less common: old-fashioned equipment/ideas | 'Wireless' is an old-fashioned word for 'radio'. 2 [A] BrE infml (of a look, expression etc) suggesting disapproval: She gave me one of those old-fashioned looks.
old 'flame n someone with whom one used to be in love: Edward's an old flame of mine.
'old folk n [P] infmi old people considered as a group, especially when speaking of them in a SENTIMENTAL way: We always try and do something for the old folk at Christmas.
,old 'folk's ,home n an OLD PEOPLE'S HOME
old 'girl (for 1),」。/(for 2)/n 1 infml an old woman: She's a nice old girl. 2 a woman who is a former pupil of a school: a reunion for old girls
Old 'Glory n [U] AmE the flag of the US
'old guard n [the+S+sing./pl. v] (a group of) old-fashioned people within an organization or society who are against new ideas, change etc: The old guard very much dislike(s) his new sculpture.
'old 'hand n [(at)] a very experienced person: an old hand at fishing
Old 'Harry n BrE old-fash the devil
'old 'hat adj [F] infml derog familiar, old-fashioned, and unexciting: My children say rock 'n' roll is old hat.
old·ish /ˈəʊldɪʃ/ adj rather old
Old King 'Cole a character in a NURSERY RHYME (=an old song or poem for young children):
Old King Cole
Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
'Old 'Labour an unofficial name used to talk about the British Labour Party before it was changed by Tony BLAIR in the 1990s. Old Labour was thought to be more LEFT WING, and supported the idea of increasing taxes to pay for public services such as education and health. Today the Labour Party does not believe in increasing taxes, and many traditional Labour supporters think it has become too RIGHT WING. → compare NEW LABOUR
,old 'lady also old woman n [(the)S] slang 1 one's wife: Have you met the/my old lady? 2 one's mother
Old La·dy of Thread·nee·dle Street /,əuld ,leidi av 'θredni:dl ,stri:t/ a NICKNAME for the BANK OF ENGLAND, which is in Threadneedle Street, London
,old 'lag n infml, especially BrE an old or former prisoner
'old 'maid n derog '1 an unmarried woman who is no longer young
CULTURAL NOTE The STEREOTYPE of an old maid is of an unpleasant unattractive woman who is too concerned with unimportant details. She is typically thought of as being shocked by anything to do with sex, but there are also many jokes about old maids having sex with men who are not particularly interested or excited.
2 infml a person who is very careful about small matters: He was a real old maid about picking up litter. →ish adj
'old 'man n 1 [(the)S] slang one's husband: Have you met the/my old man? 2 [(the)S] slang one's father: My old man wants me to be an engineer, like him. 3 also old boy/chap/fellow old-fashionful (used as a form of address to a friend) Hello, old man. How's the wife?
Old-man, Gary /ˈəʊldmən, ˈɡəri/ (1958–) a British actor and film DIRECTOR, whose films include Sid and Nancy (1986), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Old Man of the 'Sea, The a character in the story of Sinbad the Sailor in The Arabian Nights, who persuades SINBAC to carry him on his back, and then twists his legs around Sinbad so that Sinbad cannot get him off. Sinbad makes the old man drunk, gets him off his back, and kills him.
'old 'master n (a picture by) an important painter of formed times, especially of the 15th to 18th century: a priceless collection of old masters
'old, money n [U] people who come from families that have had a lot of money for a long time, which gives them a high social position: He invited both the smart set and Perth's old money.
Old Moore's Al-ma-nack /,əuld muəz 'olmənəkl-muərz 'ɔl-,-'əl-/ a small British ALMANAC (=a book giving information about the movement of the sun and moon, the times of the TIDEs etc) which is produced each year and sold in large numbers. It is known for making PREDICTIONS (=saying what will probably happen in the future) based on such things as the position of the PLANETS in the sky. Its predictions are often about political events or famous people.