the old boy network
noun /ði ˌəʊld ˈbɔɪ netwɜːk/
/ði ˌəʊld ˈbɔɪ netwɜːrk/
[singular] (British English, informal, often disapproving)- (especially in the past) the situation in many British companies, government departments and branches of the armed forces where people give jobs and other privileges to 'old boys' (= former students) of the public school or university that they went to
- Most of the managers were chosen by the old boy network and many of them turned out to be incompetent.