old lady

plural old ladies

1. informalliteralAn elderly woman.

   Near-synonym: LOL

   3 more examples

   The door was opened by a little old lady.

   A dear old lady said she thought the ancient castle at Conway most picturesque, but that it was a pity they put it so close to the railway!

   1946 March and April, R. A. H. Weight, “Euston to the North-West”, in Railway Magazine, page 71

   "Ninety per cent of our passengers will know where they are going. They'll come in and do the same journey every day. Therefore, I always base Waterloo not on the commuter, but on the little old lady who's lost in the middle of the station and just wants some help.

   2025 January 25, Cem Davis tells Nick Brodrick, “A warm 'Waterloo family' welcome”, in RAIL, number 975, page 40

   Synonyms: old woman, babushka, bag, bat, beldame, biddy, bluehair, bubbe · Antonyms: old man

2. slangOne's mother.

   My old lady was fond of corporal punishment.

   2 more examples

   ‘I use the same back-hand flip me old man useda use to knock me old lady arse-over-’ead an’ Stiffer than Mo.’

   1982, Paul Radley, My Blue-Checker Corker and Me, Sydney: Fontana/Collins, page 97

   I swiped it from the old lady's liquor cabinet.

   1985, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Back to the Future, spoken by Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson)

   Synonyms: dam, mater, matriarch, mother, Mother, Colloquial or slang synonyms:, ma, mam

3. USslangOne's girlfriend, wife or female significant other.

   His wife was asking where their savings account balance had gone, but the way he put it was that his old lady was ragging him about his pay rate.

   2 more examples

   “[…] Now if that thing is balling—and your old lady or your old man is off somewhere flashing and doesn't want to be touched—well, you get put down on acid, you can be on a bummer for months.”

   1968, Joan Didion, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”, in Slouching Towards Bethlehem

   But you know it could be a hassle / Trying to explain myself to a police officer / About how it was your old lady got herself stiffed

   1978, Lou Reed, “Street Hassle”, in Street Hassle

   Synonyms: girlfriend, ball and chain, better half, boss, bride, dutch, 'er indoors, frow

4. UKinformalThe Bank of England, sometimes referred to as the “Old Lady of Threadneedle Street” or simply “The Old Lady”.
5. slangboard gamesA queen.

   Watch out for that old lady waiting for you.