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college

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cow college

1. A college or university whose education focuses on agriculture. I always loved working on our farm growing up, so even though I could have gone to business or law school, I always knew I'd be heading to a cow college.

2. Any small, rural college or university, especially one that is relatively unknown or not well regarded. I'm just getting my first two years out of the way at this cow college before applying to a proper university.

See also: college, cow

old college try

a valiant effort. Will made the old college try, but that wasn't enough to get the job done.

See also: college, old, try

cow college

An agricultural college; any small, relatively unknown rural college. For example, He's never published a paper, but he might do all right in some cow college. This term uses cow in the somewhat pejorative sense of "provincial." [c. 1910]

See also: college, cow

old college try, the

One's best effort, as in Come on, if we give it the old college try we just might be able to cut down this tree . This slangy expression, originally a cheer to urge a team on, dates from the 1930s when college football films were very popular.

See also: college, old

Graybar Hotel

and Graystone College

n. a jail; a prison. The two cops had to spend two years in Graybar Hotel with some of the inmates they had caught over the past few years. How long were you at the old Graystone College?

Graystone College

verb

See Graybar Hotel

See also: college, Graystone

Joe College

n. a typical or average male college student. Joe College never had a computer or a laser-powered record player in the good old days.

See also: college, joe

Joe College

A typical male college student. The phrase came on the scene in the 1930s, usually applied approvingly, but occasionally as a label for a student whom the academic life sheltered from having to hold down a “real job” in the “real world.”

See also: college, joe