jobs for the boys
Ситуации, когда люди отдают рабочие места или заказы своим друзьям, родственникам или знакомым.
They operated a system of jobs for the boys.
У них была система «теплых местечек» для своих ребят.
mama's boy
A boy who depends too much on his mother; a sissy.
The other boys called Tommy a mama's boy because he wouldn't come out to play unless his mother stayed near him.
old boy network
old school tie
A system whereby men who went to the same school help each other to get good jobs, regardless of their ability or training.
Peter got his lucrative job thanks to the old boy network rather than because of his qualifications.
old boy
old chap
One of the men educated at the same institution and bound by strong ties of loyalty to each other.
He got the job because the boss was another old boy.
separate the men from the boys
To show who has strength, courage and loyalty and find who do not.
When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, it separated the men from the boys.
The mile run separates the men from the boys.
whipping boy
The person who gets punished for someone else's mistake.
"I used to be the whipping boy during my early days at the company," he musingly remembered.