old story, an

Idioms  

1. A common occurrence or excuse. For example, Karen's mood swings are an old story. [c. 1700] Also see same old story.

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Example Sentences

The traveller gazed with a grim satisfaction at this spectacle, for it seemed to him, as to the shipwrecked sailor in the old story—an earnest of civilization.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the old story: an anthill of boyish folly, a mountain of blackguardly extortion.

From Project Gutenberg

The white paper reminded Baxter of a rather old story�an offer once made by Beecham's liver pills to provide a church with hymn books in return for a bit of concealed advertising.

From Time Magazine Archive

Doubtless the King of Saxony, who was not so young, had come home thousands of times before, and there must be something servile in a people who made such an old story an occasion for a sort of worship.

From Project Gutenberg

She an’ me—an’ you, of course, Mrs. Calvert, bein’ a Calvert—Well, it’s an old story an’ I’ll wait till after dinner, thank ye, ma’am.

From Project Gutenberg