old college try

noun

A vigorous, committed attempt or effort, often in the context of a nearly hopeless situation where failure is expected.

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Meanings

nounold college try (plural old college tries)

plural old college tries

  1. informalA vigorous, committed attempt or effort, often in the context of a nearly hopeless situation where failure is expected.

    Reeve gives his role the old college try—fervent amateurism.

    1980, T. E. Kalem, "Happy Hangover" (theatre review of Fifth of July), Time, 17 Nov.
    2 more examples

    Those who have seen Ruth make the "old college try" understand that some professionals play with a spiritual fervor which is supposed to be the amateur's prerogative.

    1929, Munsey's Magazine, volume 96, number 3, page 355

    "You know, all I can do is go out there and give it the old college try and play my hardest."

    2003 April 6, Keith Parsons, “Janzen takes two-shot lead in BellSouth Classic”, in USA Today, retrieved 16 Aug 2009

Origin

From the ambitiousness of college athletes. Earliest known use from 1914. Said to have been coined by John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants from 1902–1932 (see citation from 1917).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

old college try. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20college%20try

MLA

“old college try.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20college%20try. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “old college try,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20college%20try.

Source: old college try on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.