Use of 'Old school tie'

[Tom]

Hi

Could you please tell me (the meaning) and use of the following idiom? I know the meaning but cannot use it in a sentence!

1- Old school tie

Tom

[Alan]

Hi,

The old school tie is often used to explain the fraternity existing in later life between people who have been to the same school. If you wanted to explain why X got the job and Y didn't, you could say: It's a case of the old school tie.

A
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[Pond969]

Tom... (and Alan). I don't see that phrase as an idiom (not like 'Old Boy' or 'Old Boy-Net' which are related and connected to your replies).

The idea of an 'old-boy net' refers to the network of ex-students from the English publich school system. English schools used uniforms, including ties in specific colours, as did army regiments.... but the tie was only ever a symbol of the institution itself... not the subsequent networks of members that resulted.

I would say that the term 'School Ties', although having a vague conection to what I mention above, refers not to the item of apparel, but to the social contacts that would result from any shool setting.

[Alan]

Well yes that's what I said, didn't I?

A
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[prezbucky]

now if we add a well-placed hyphen...

we have an old-school tie.

... an example of which would be a tie from, oh, the 1970s (you know, the really wide ties).
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[Pond969]

Alan... I am not actually disagreeing with you, and, yes, that is pretty much what you said.

My point was that 'old-boy net' has idiomatic status while 'old-school tie', while understandable as a similar term', is not commonly used to the same degree.

[Alan]

Hi,

Well clearly that depends on your perception of its use. My feeling is that the expression ( I don't quite follow your use of 'term') can be used a a sort of shorthand for 'special relationship' or 'special contacts' as in: Well you know why he got the job. It was a case of the old school tie again.'

A
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[Pond969]

Alan ... I acknowledge that the term (and by 'term' I mean 'a word or group of words understood to have a particular meaning') may be used more commonly in my part of the world. I haven't come across it in the way you have cited though.