Definition

Noun 1. Past times remembered with nostalgia: This term refers to times long past, often recalled with a sense of fondness, affection, or wistful memory. It evokes memories of old friendships and bygone days.

Usage

• The phrase is used to refer to a nostalgic past, often in the context of friendship and shared history.
• It is famously used as the title and key phrase of a traditional Scottish song sung to bid farewell to the old year at New Year's Eve celebrations (Hogmanay).

Examples

• "They sat by the fire, sharing stories of auld lang syne."
• "At the reunion, they raised a glass to auld lang syne."
• "The song 'Auld Lang Syne' asks whether old acquaintances should be forgotten."

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used poetically or rhetorically to evoke a shared sentimental past.
• It can function as a standalone noun phrase representing the concept of nostalgic memory itself.

Variants and Related Words

• Auld Lang Syne: The standard spelling of the song title and common rendering of the phrase. "Auld Langsyne" is often used as a closed compound, but the open form "auld lang syne" (meaning "old long since") is the original Scots phrase.

Synonyms

• Days of yore
• Times past
• Bygone days
• Nostalgic past
• Old times

Idioms and Phrases

• For auld lang syne: This is the core idiomatic phrase, meaning "for the sake of old times" or "in memory of old friendship." It is the reason given in the song for remembering old friends.
  • Example: "We should meet again, for auld lang syne."

Noun

1. past times remembered with nostalgia