Related words and phrases
Idioms
any old…(informal)any item of the type mentioned (used when it is not important which particular item is chosen)
Any old room would have done. any old how(informal)in a careless or untidy way
The books were piled up all over the floor any old how. be up to your (old) tricks(informal, disapproving)to be behaving in the same bad way as before
He had soon spent all the money and was up to his old tricks. a chip off the old block(informal)a person who is very similar to their mother or father in the way that they look or behave
for old times’ sakeif you do something for old times’ sake, you do it because it is connected with something good that happened to you in the past
give somebody the (old) heave-ho(informal)to dismiss somebody from their job; to end a relationship with somebody
the good/bad old daysan earlier period of time in your life or in history that is seen as better/worse than the present
That was in the bad old days of rampant inflation. a/the grand old age (of…)a great age
She finally learned to drive at the grand old age of 70. a/the grand old man (of something)a man who is respected in a particular profession that he has been involved in for a long time
James Lovelock, the grand old man of environmental science have a high old time(old-fashioned, informal)to enjoy yourself very much
in old money(British English, informal)used to give an amount, a measurement, etc. using older or more traditional units that may be more familiar to some people
The fish measured 29 centimetres (that's a foot in old money). money for jam/old rope(British English, informal)money that is earned very easily, for something that needs little effort
The job only took about an hour—it was money for old rope. (there’s) no fool like an old fool(saying)an older person who behaves in a stupid way is worse than a younger person who does the same thing, because experience should have taught him or her not to do it
of old(formal or literary)in or since past times
in days of oldWe know him of old (= we have known him for a long time). old boy, chap, man, etc.(old-fashioned, British English, informal)used by older men of the middle and upper classes as a friendly way of addressing another man
old enough to be somebody’s father/mother(disapproving)very much older than somebody (especially used to suggest that a romantic or sexual relationship between the two people is not appropriate)
old enough to know betterold enough to behave in a more sensible way than you actually did
(have) an old head on young shouldersused to describe a young person who acts in a more sensible way than you would expect for a person of their age
the (same) old storywhat usually happens
It's the same old story of a badly managed project with inadequate funding. an old wives’ tale(disapproving)an old idea or belief that people now know is not correct
one of the old schoolan old-fashioned person who likes to do things as they were done in the past
a/the ripe old age (of…)an age that is considered to be very old
He lived to the ripe old age of 91. settle a score/accounts (with somebody) | settle an old scoreto hurt or punish somebody who has harmed or cheated you in the past
‘Who would do such a thing?’ ‘Maybe someone with an old score to settle.’An embittered Charlotte is determined to settle accounts with Elizabeth. (you can’t) teach an old dog new tricks(saying)(you cannot) successfully make people change their ideas, methods of work, etc., when they have had them for a long time
(as) tough as old boots | (as) tough as nailsvery strong and able to deal successfully with difficult conditions or situations
She’s almost 90 but she’s still as tough as old boots. 
