old-boy network
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old-boy network
(ōld′boi′)n.
An informal, exclusive system of mutual assistance and friendship through which men belonging to a particular group, such as the alumni of a school, exchange favors and connections, as in politics or business: "Working-class kids ... had no old-boy network to turn to in times of trouble" (Bill Barich).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
old′-boy′ net`work
(ˈoʊldˈbɔɪ)n.
a network through which men of the same profession, social class, school, affiliation, or the like assist one another in business, politics, etc.
[1955–60]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.