Old school

:For the Will Ferrell film, see Old School (film)

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:For the Tobias Wolff memoir, see Old School (memoir)

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Old school, variously spelled old skool, oldschool or oldskool, is a slang term referring to old ways of thinking or acting, and to old objects in general, within the context of newer, more modern times. It generally does not have a negative connotation (cf. obsolete or out-dated). Indeed, it may be used to indicate a time (perceived to be) of better standards or level of craft. Many apply the term old school as if one would say, "They just don't make 'em like this anymore."

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Old school is often interchangeable with the word nostalgic but practitioners of semantics often define old school as simply something of an earlier period but not neccesarily inferior or hopelessly dated. Nostalgia, on the other hand, is often given a negative connotation. For example, as a sentimental attachment to dated works many of which are now considered embarrasingly 'corny' or 'cheesy' in their execution. This definition is often associated with cartoons and other children's shows, especially after one reaches adulthood.

Related Topics:
Nostalgic - Cartoons

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Old School has some specific uses:

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• Old School Hip Hop, referring to the rap music of anywhere from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Hip Hop historians consider the late 70s to the early 80s to be old school, then the late 80s to 90s as Golden Age, but the mainstream often refers to the late 80s, early 90s period as Old School.
• For electronic music fans, Oldskool (with a 'K', one word') is now a popular term that usually refers to a style of music popular in the early 1990s, which was at the time called breakbeat hardcore or rave. The style fragmented in the mid 1990s but the 'cheezy' Old Skool roots and even direct samples are easily found in many Happy Hardcore genre tracks as well as in other genres that share a common link with breakbeat hardcore.
• In the world of rock music, Old School usually refers to the period between the early 1970s, when hard rock and heavy metal emerged, and the early 1990s, just before the advent of grunge. This period is a common format for classic rock/AOR radio stations.
• In computer and video games, the dividing line for Old School is often before the advent of 3D graphics, generally the 8 to 32-bit sprite based games of ten to twenty years ago.

The 'Old Skool' is also a style of shoe made by Vans.

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Old school: See also ►