good ol' boy
Southern network member
A good ol' boy is a white man from the rural American South who embodies the region's traditional culture—friendly, unpretentious, and loyal to his community, but often resistant to social change.
The term can be affectionate or critical depending on context: He's just a good ol' boy who loves hunting and football versus The good ol' boy network kept outsiders from getting hired.
Also spelled good old boy.
- Southern heritageCultural traditions of Dixie
- sweet teaChilled, sugared leaf infusion
- front porchCovered entry deck
- friendlinessWarm, welcoming disposition
- yes ma'amFormal feminine affirmative
beer · brotherhood · racial dynamics · rural lifestyle · dirt road · truck · insularity · folk wisdom · tradition · exclusivity · anti-elitism · gender roles · storytelling · camaraderie · shared experiences · small town · cronyism · hard work
- Hicksploitationmoonshine runners, bootleggers, Southern Gothic
- folk sayingsproverb, adage, maxim, folk saying, old saying
- Regional LabelsYankee, Midwesterner, Texan, Californian, New Englander
good ol' boycosmopolitan
Culturally sophisticated, internationally fluent
urban elite · city slicker · coastal elite · Yankee · progressive
good ol' boymeritocrat
One advanced by ability
self-made man · self-made woman · outsider · newcomer · upstart