# Where did the phrase "old school" originate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-old-school-originate/381566>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 23, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-old-school-originate/381566 "2006-11-23T17:39:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-old-school-originate/381566/1 "2006-11-23T17:39:53Z")

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Pretty much what the thread title said. The oldest mention of the phrase I recall is its reference to “old school rap”. But did that usage cross over from somewhere else?

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-old-school-originate/381566/2 "2006-11-23T18:00:13Z")

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It goes back to at least the 1700’s in England. Courtesy of the OED.

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**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-phrase-old-school-originate/381566/3 "2006-11-23T18:07:31Z")

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Ah. So it’s an old school term.