once upon a time

Idioms  

1. On some past occasion, as in I may have sung this piece once upon a time, but I don't really remember it. This phrase, first recorded in 1595, is frequently used as the opening line of fairy tales and stories told to children, as in Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters.

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Example Sentences

Once upon a time, many companies thought wages—and wages alone—were what motivated workers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gillian in fact, when I blurbed “Gone Girl” — and now it’s kind of hilarious, it’s like once upon a time, I blurbed this third novel by the up-and-comer Gillian Flynn — she had, as a gift, sent me a copy of the book, “Until the Twelfth of Never,” and it’s the book that inspired the two miniseries based on the Betty Broderick story out of Southern California.

From Salon

Once upon a time the long throw was almost exclusively the preserve of Tony Pulis and his Stoke City team, but now it is being used by pretty much every Premier League team - and it is working.

From BBC

But once upon a time, they came with a stigma.

From The Wall Street Journal

His other five acting nominations were for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “The Aviator,” “Blood Diamond,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• already
• before
• earlier
• formerly
• late
• previously