Outrageously Funny Word Dictionary :: The old rugged cross old rugged cross

👉 The Old Rugged Cross is a term that has taken on a life of its own over time and gained popularity with puns and jokes about it. It's often used to refer to someone who is very old-fashioned or traditional, much like a rugged cross.

For instance, imagine you're trying to impress someone at a party but you end up getting the "The Old Rugged Cross" treatment: The person says something snarky like, "I'm looking forward to the time when I have to give this to my grandkids. They'll be too young to appreciate it." And they then hand you their "The Old Rugged Cross," which is a clue that they've forgotten to replace their own cross in years of living a traditional life. It's just one more way that old-fashioned, even rebellious, slang is being used to express a sense of humor and creativity, despite the often-critical nature of these expressions.