What is "Old School" anyways?

[radhead]

I hear the term a lot these days. Does anyone know if it refers to anything specific? Does it refer to a certain period or just anything from the past.

It's a popular term but it's not new. Steely Dan had a song in the 70's called "The Old School" which was a play of words on the term.

 

[lucypevensie]

It's just the "old fashioned" way of things. It's a subjective term.

An example:
Old school on finances: save money until you can afford what you want and pay cash for it. The new way: put it on a credit card and make payments.

 

[Niels]

Old school seems to refer to something trendy from about 20 years ago. Not quite old enough to be classic, but kind of retro. For example: Converse "Chuck Taylors" basketball shoes are classic... but Nike "Air Jordans" are old school.

 

[sf49erfan]

"Old School" seems to refer to the way things were done in a past time, which some people consider a better way of doing things.

Like a football player who scores a touchdown and then gently hands the ball to the referee instead of doing an endzone victory celebration when his team is still down by 35 points would be considered "old school."

 

[JPPT1974]

Well-put SF Fan! You nailed it all!
I just can't get used to cell phones, Nintendos, I-pods, DVD players, and Blackberries at all!

 

[Christianmom1968]

I have to admit I don't hear a lot of people our age using this term. My teenage children's friends use this term a lot and I think they use it to describe anything older than they are (or when they were born).

 

[WomanAtTheWell]

I grew up listening to Hip Hop music and for me, I mostly use the term Old School when referring to Hip Hop/Rap music that I remember from when I was growing up listening to it. I don't like very much f the new stuff, but I can still relate to what I grew up listening to. So for me, Old School is any kind of Hip Hop from before around 1990...

People use the term old school for lots of other things as well.... It can be parenting style (ie, I am from the old school, so I think kids need to be spanked. (I don't feel that way, but that's a sentence I have heard as a social worker). It can be video games (Pacman is an old school video game.) I think I have heard the term for skateboarding, not that I would know old school from new school skateboarding.

I don't necessarily think Old School is the same as "Old Fashioned" always... maybe in some instances... But for me, when I think of Old School it's newer than what I would consider "Old Fashioned" (like my mom's generation), but newer than what's going on now....

So, those of us in our thirties are probably "Old School" to kids these days....

 

[BeachBlonde]

When I think of "old school" I think of a generation ago,or even older.

 

[JPPT1974]

When I think of "old school" I think of a generation ago,or even older.

Well-said my friend!