History Idioms are idioms that make reference to the past either in their meaning or in the language used.
What is an Idiom?
An idiom is a group of words or a phrase that has a different meaning to its literal meaning. For example ‘It’s raining cats and dogs’ means it is raining very hard, it does not mean cats and dogs are falling from the sky. There are a number of history idioms that may be about the past or may refer to the past.
History idioms and their meanings in alphabetical order
| A blast from the past | Something you remember from the past that you see, hear or experience again |
| Bygone age | Belonging to a previous time |
| Cradle of Civilisation | A location where a civilisation began – Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, China, Mexico and Peru. |
| Dim and distant past | A time from the past not very well remembered |
| Donkey’s years | A long time |
| Dustbin of history | People or events that will be forgotten by history |
| From time immemorial | For a very long time, further back than you can remember |
| Go down in history | To do something or be important enough to be recorded |
| Good old days | A time from the past when life seemed better |
| Happy is the country that has no history | If a country has no history it must be happy because it has not experienced conflict or struggle |
| History in the making | Today’s event is so important it will be remembered |
| History repeats itself | Something that happened before is happening again |
| I’m history | I’m leaving |
| Long time no see | Meeting someone you haven’t seen for a long time |
| Make history | To do something very memorable that will will be remembered |
| Many moons ago | A long time ago |
| On the wrong side of history | When someone’s actions will be criticised by history |
| Once upon a time | A long time ago |
| Past caring | No longer interested in or concerned about something |
| Past its sell by date | No longer useful or relevant |
| Put the clock back | To start over again or restore things to how they were before |
| Rewrite history | To change the facts of an event |
| Seen better days | Something that is old and past its best |
| Stand the test of time | Something that lasts for a long time |
| Take a trip down memory lane | Reminiscing and remembering things from your past |
| That rings a bell | When something triggers a distant memory but you can’t remember it clearly |
| That ship has sailed | When an opportunity has been missed |
| That’s ancient history | It’s no longer relevant |
| The rest is history | The end of the story is common knowledge |
| The year dot | A very long time ago |
| Turn back the hands of time | Go back to a previous time (possibly to wish to change things for the better) |
| Water under the bridge | When something that happened has been forgotten or forgiven |
| Winds of change | Things that have the power to change history |
Citation Information:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2020 – 2022). History Idioms. Available: https://www.historykeyskills.com/history-idioms/. Last accessed August 29th, 2024