same old story, the

Idioms  

1. Also, the same old rigmarole. A frequently recurring event or situation, as in It's the same old story—they won't hire you without experience but how can you get experience if you're not hired? Both these expressions originally alluded to a tiresome, rambling discourse but today are used mainly for an irksome recurrence. The first gained currency during World War II with a song, “As Time Goes By,” popularized in the film Casablanca (1942).

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Example Sentences

But his remarks were ridiculed by Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, who said: “We’ve been here before, many times ... It’s like Groundhog Day. We get the same old story. The secretary of state pretends everything is going according to plan.”

From The Guardian

Instead, it was the same old story - the Marlins lost 2-1 to the Pirates on Thursday night, Miami’s sixth loss in its last seven games and the 32nd time this season the team failed to score more than one run.

From Washington Times

Behind the numbers, however, lurked the same old story: The housing market has yet to fully recover.

From Washington Post

“For years, the VFW has come to Congress with hat in hand, and for years, we’ve heard the same old story,” the VFW said.

From Washington Post

“For years, the V.F.W. has come to Congress with hat in hand, and for years we’ve heard the same old story,” the heads of the veterans groups wrote to Mr. Burr.

From New York Times