old school tie

American  

noun

1. a necktie striped in the colors of a specific English public school, especially as worn by a graduate to indicate his educational background.

2. an alumnus of an English public school.

3. the clannishness and conservative manners, dress, and attitudes associated with students and graduates of the English public schools.

4. snobbishness, clannishness, or extreme conservatism.

---

old school tie British  

noun

1. a distinctive tie that indicates which school the wearer attended

2. the attitudes, loyalties, values, etc, associated with British public schools

---

Etymology

Origin of old school tie

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

old school tie

Unsurprisingly, the old school tie set at the ACB and Lord's dug in with blustery determination, setting in motion an explosive war of words.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 8, 2013

Wearing what looks like an old school tie, he says his squad is "well-balanced".

From The Guardian ● May 16, 2012

Another curiously Sri Lankan trait, highlighted in the book, is the "old school tie", the fierce attachment to one's alma mater.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2011

Whit Stillman always stands out in the grungy group portrait of American independents: he's the one in the navy-blue blazer and old school tie.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Navy still holds hard to its old school tie.

From Time Magazine Archive