give (something) the (old) college try
To attempt or try something. I gave knitting the old college try, but I just didn't enjoy it. Give it the college try and I think you'll find that it's easier than you think. I usually paint, but I'm happy to give pastels the old college try—why not?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
old college try
a valiant effort. Will made the old college try, but that wasn't enough to get the job done.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
old college try, (give it) the
Do the best you can, even if you think it’s a hopeless cause. This slangy Americanism dates from the 1930s when college football films became very popular in the United States. The phrase was one of the cheers intended to urge on a team that was falling behind or facing overwhelming odds. Transferred to other endeavors, it came to be used more or less ironically.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer