Idioms are creative and expressive phrases that bring depth and flavor to the way we talk about time, especially when it comes to events that have already happened.
In this listicle, we’ll explore idioms that reflect on the past—memories, old habits, forgotten stories, and past experiences—and unpack what they mean. Whether you’re reminiscing, reflecting, or just trying to describe a past situation with more flair, these idioms will help you do that with style and clarity.
What is an Idiom About the Past?
Idioms about the past are phrases that describe actions, habits, experiences, or emotions that occurred before the present moment. These idioms often carry nostalgic, reflective, or even humorous tones that make storytelling and conversations more vivid and relatable. Let’s take a closer look at each one and learn how they can help us speak about the past more effectively.
Idioms About the Past
1. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Something that happened in the past and is now forgiven or no longer considered important.
In a Sentence: Even though we argued years ago, it’s all water under the bridge now, and we’ve moved on completely without holding grudges.
2. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: There’s no use crying over spilled milk—we missed the train, so let’s just catch the next one and keep going.
3. A blast from the past
Meaning: Something or someone that suddenly and vividly reminds you of the past.
In a Sentence: Seeing that old TV commercial was a total blast from the past and brought back memories of my childhood living room.
4. Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: To forget past disagreements or offenses and move on.
In a Sentence: After years of silence, they finally decided to let bygones be bygones and rebuild their friendship with a clean slate.
5. Dwell on the past
Meaning: To think or talk too much about something that happened in the past.
In a Sentence: She tends to dwell on the past so much that it sometimes stops her from enjoying the present moment.
6. Ancient history
Meaning: Something that happened a long time ago and is no longer relevant.
In a Sentence: That argument we had in college is ancient history—we barely even remember what it was about anymore.
7. Live in the past
Meaning: To remain emotionally or mentally stuck in earlier times.
In a Sentence: He still wears his old high school jacket and talks about prom night as if it happened last week—he really lives in the past.
8. Put something behind you
Meaning: To stop being affected by a past event and move forward.
In a Sentence: After a tough breakup, she finally put it behind her and focused on building a new and happier life.
9. Skeletons in the closet
Meaning: Secrets or embarrassing past events that someone tries to hide.
In a Sentence: Every politician seems to have a few skeletons in the closet that resurface during election season.
10. Dig up the past
Meaning: To bring up old memories or events that are best left forgotten.
In a Sentence: Every time we start to get along, he finds a way to dig up the past and ruin the mood with old drama.
11. Hindsight is 20/20
Meaning: It’s easy to see what should have been done after something has already happened.
In a Sentence: I wouldn’t have taken that job if I knew how awful it would be, but hindsight is 20/20, and now I’ve learned my lesson.
12. Back in the day
Meaning: Referring to a time in the past, often remembered with nostalgia.
In a Sentence: Back in the day, we used to record songs from the radio onto cassette tapes and make our own playlists.
13. Turn back the clock
Meaning: To return to an earlier time or relive a moment from the past.
In a Sentence: Visiting my hometown always makes me feel like I’ve turned back the clock to simpler days filled with laughter and play.
14. From the old school
Meaning: Someone who prefers traditional ideas or methods.
In a Sentence: My grandfather is from the old school—he still writes letters by hand and thinks texting is too impersonal.
15. In days gone by
Meaning: Refers to a time in the past, often used poetically or sentimentally.
In a Sentence: In days gone by, people would gather around the fireplace and share stories long into the night without distractions.
16. Over the hill
Meaning: Getting older; past one’s prime.
In a Sentence: He jokes about being over the hill, but he still runs faster than most people half his age.
17. A thing of the past
Meaning: Something that no longer exists or is no longer practiced.
In a Sentence: Handwritten thank-you notes have sadly become a thing of the past in the age of instant messaging.
18. Set in one’s ways
Meaning: Resistant to change due to long-established habits.
In a Sentence: My uncle is so set in his ways that he still refuses to use a microwave and heats everything on the stove.
19. Time heals all wounds
Meaning: Emotional pain will lessen as time passes.
In a Sentence: It took her years to recover from the loss, but time heals all wounds, and now she smiles more often.
20. Remind me of the good old days
Meaning: To bring back happy memories from the past.
In a Sentence: Listening to that old song reminded me of the good old days when life felt carefree and full of possibilities.
21. That ship has sailed
Meaning: The opportunity has passed or is no longer available.
In a Sentence: I wanted to apply for the scholarship, but the deadline was last week—unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
22. Once upon a time
Meaning: A phrase often used to begin a story about the past, especially in fairy tales.
In a Sentence: Once upon a time, we believed that floppy disks were the future of data storage.
23. A walk down memory lane
Meaning: Reflecting on or reminiscing about the past.
In a Sentence: Looking through our photo albums is always a wonderful walk down memory lane that brings tears and smiles.
24. Go back to square one
Meaning: To return to the beginning because the current plan has failed.
In a Sentence: The merger didn’t work out, so the team had to go back to square one and rework their entire strategy.
25. Rehash old arguments
Meaning: To bring up and repeat past disagreements.
In a Sentence: They can never have a calm discussion without rehashing old arguments from years ago.
26. Stuck in a rut
Meaning: Living life in a boring or unchanging pattern, often due to habits from the past.
In a Sentence: He’s been stuck in a rut for years, following the same routine every day without any excitement or change.
27. Living in the past
Meaning: To focus too much on past experiences instead of living in the present.
In a Sentence: He’s always talking about his glory days in high school, clearly living in the past instead of building new memories.
28. The good old days
Meaning: A time in the past remembered with fondness.
In a Sentence: My grandparents often talk about the good old days when everything was slower and neighbors looked out for one another.
29. Like a broken record
Meaning: To repeat the same thing over and over, often about past events.
In a Sentence: He kept complaining about his missed promotion like a broken record, even though it happened years ago.
30. Bring back memories
Meaning: To cause someone to remember something from the past.
In a Sentence: The smell of cinnamon rolls always brings back memories of my childhood kitchen on Sunday mornings.
31. Outdated as a flip phone
Meaning: Extremely outdated or irrelevant.
In a Sentence: His fashion sense is as outdated as a flip phone, stuck in trends that were popular decades ago.
32. Dated
Meaning: Out of style or from a previous time.
In a Sentence: The language in that book feels so dated, it’s hard to believe it was once considered cutting-edge.
33. Echoes of the past
Meaning: Reminders or repetitions of past events or behaviors.
In a Sentence: Her hesitation to trust others is just an echo of the past when she was betrayed by close friends.
34. Memories fade
Meaning: Over time, details of past events become less clear.
In a Sentence: Even though the trip was unforgettable at the time, some of the smaller memories have begun to fade.
35. Dated back to
Meaning: Originated or existed at a certain time in the past.
In a Sentence: This ancient map dates back to the 1600s and shows how people once viewed the world.
36. An old flame
Meaning: A former romantic partner.
In a Sentence: She ran into an old flame at the coffee shop, and for a moment, it felt like no time had passed.
37. Put it on the back burner
Meaning: To delay dealing with something until later.
In a Sentence: He put the family photo project on the back burner while he focused on work deadlines.
38. Those were the days
Meaning: A nostalgic way to refer to a happy or memorable time in the past.
In a Sentence: We used to stay up late playing board games and laughing—those were the days, weren’t they?
39. Relive the moment
Meaning: To remember or imagine experiencing a past event again.
In a Sentence: Every time she watches the wedding video, she gets to relive the moment all over again.
40. Time stood still
Meaning: A moment that felt frozen or incredibly significant.
In a Sentence: When I saw the twin towers fall, it was like time stood still—everything around me just stopped.
41. Yesterday’s news
Meaning: Something that is no longer relevant or interesting.
In a Sentence: That viral video is yesterday’s news—everyone’s moved on to the next big trend.
42. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To change behavior or start fresh, leaving the past behind.
In a Sentence: After years of poor decisions, he turned over a new leaf and committed to a healthier lifestyle.
43. Get over it
Meaning: To recover from a past event or emotional experience.
In a Sentence: It’s been six months since the breakup—maybe it’s time to get over it and start moving forward.
44. Been there, done that
Meaning: Having previous experience with something, often used dismissively.
In a Sentence: She rolled her eyes at the drama in the group chat and said, “Been there, done that—no thanks.”
45. Drag up old history
Meaning: To bring up past conflicts or problems again.
In a Sentence: I was trying to apologize, but she kept dragging up old history instead of focusing on the present.
46. As old as time
Meaning: Extremely old or ancient.
In a Sentence: The legend of this village is as old as time, passed down through generations by word of mouth.
47. On second thought
Meaning: After reconsidering something, usually after reflecting on the past.
In a Sentence: I was going to call him, but on second thought, maybe it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.
48. Back in business
Meaning: To resume activities after a pause or failure.
In a Sentence: After months of recovery from his injury, he’s finally back in business and training like before.
49. A bygone era
Meaning: A period in the distant past that no longer exists.
In a Sentence: The handwritten letter belongs to a bygone era, now replaced by emails and instant messaging.
50. In the rearview mirror
Meaning: Something that is behind you and no longer your focus.
In a Sentence: I’m leaving those mistakes in the rearview mirror and focusing on what’s ahead.
51. Locked in time
Meaning: Unchanged or preserved exactly as it once was.
In a Sentence: The abandoned amusement park felt locked in time, as if waiting for visitors that would never return.
52. Back when
Meaning: Referring to a specific point in the past.
In a Sentence: Back when we used to walk to school without phones or GPS, life felt a little more adventurous.
Quizzes About the Idioms in the Article
Quiz 1: Water under the bridge
What does “Water under the bridge” mean?
a) Something that needs to be fixed
b) Something from the past that is no longer a problem
c) A current disagreement
d) A hidden secret
Quiz 2: Blast from the past
What is “A blast from the past”?
a) An old friend’s joke
b) A current fashion trend
c) Something that reminds you of a previous time
d) A future goal
Quiz 3: Skeletons in the closet
What does “Skeletons in the closet” refer to?
a) Halloween decorations
b) Secrets from the past
c) Hidden treasures
d) Forgotten books
Quiz 4: Turn back the clock
If someone wants to “Turn back the clock,” what do they wish to do?
a) Go back in time
b) Take a nap
c) Set a timer
d) Avoid responsibility
Quiz 5: That ship has sailed
What is the meaning of “That ship has sailed”?
a) Something good has just started
b) The weather is changing
c) An opportunity is gone
d) A boat trip is canceled
Quiz 6: A walk down memory lane
What does “A walk down memory lane” suggest?
a) Going to a museum
b) Getting lost in a city
c) Remembering the past
d) Taking a long walk
Quiz 7: Been there, done that
When someone says “Been there, done that,” what do they mean?
a) They are bored
b) They have experience with something
c) They want to try it
d) They are tired
Quiz 8: Get over it
What does the phrase “Get over it” suggest?
a) Move on from a past event
b) Climb a mountain
c) Skip a class
d) Ignore everyone
Quiz 9: In the rearview mirror
What does “In the rearview mirror” mean?
a) Something you’re still focused on
b) Something behind you and no longer important
c) Something in the mirror
d) A thing you miss
Quiz 10: Locked in time
What does it mean if something is “Locked in time”?
a) It hasn’t changed from the past
b) It moves quickly
c) It’s lost
d) It keeps repeating
Answers:
- b
- c
- b
- a
- c
- c
- b
- a
- b
- a
Conclusion
Idioms about the past help us add depth and emotion to the way we describe memories, lessons, and experiences. They remind us that while the past can shape us, it doesn’t have to define us. Whether you’re feeling nostalgic or reflecting on how far you’ve come, these expressions can help you speak about the past in more thoughtful, colorful ways.