World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesvieille lune
Pronunciation / Transliteration: /vjɛl lyn/
"Cette histoire est une vieille lune que tout le monde connaît déjà."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
An idea, joke, story, or subject that has been repeated so often it has become stale, tiresome, and overly familiar.
"He brought up that same old chestnut about the good old days during the entire dinner." - 2
A well-worn cultural reference or piece of conventional wisdom that has lost its original impact through overuse.
"The lecture recycled the old chestnut that hard work is the sole key to wealth."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The term originates from William Dimond's 1816 melodrama 'The Broken Sword', in which a character repeatedly tells the same stale jokes and tall tales about a cork tree and a chestnut tree. Over time, the specific reference shortened to 'chestnut' to signify any excessively repeated story, joke, or subject, often modified by 'old' or 'hoary' for emphasis.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Old chestnut"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Old chestnut" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
vieille lune
Transliteration: /vjɛl lyn/
"Cette histoire est une vieille lune que tout le monde connaît déjà."
alter Hut
Transliteration: /ˈaltɐ huːt/
"Seine Beschwerden sind für uns alle ein alter Hut."
solita solfa
Transliteration: /ˈsɔ.li.ta ˈsol.fa/
"Basta con questa solita solfa, vogliamo sentire qualcosa di nuovo."
lamentable tópico
Transliteration: /la.menˈta.βle ˈto.pi.ko/
"Su discurso estaba lleno de tópicos viejos."
lenga-lenga
Transliteration: /ˈlẽ.ɡɐ ˈlẽ.ɡɐ/
"Essa história já virou uma lenga-lenga sem graça."
घिसी-पिटी बात
Transliteration: ghisi-piti baat
"उसकी वही पुरानी घिसी-पिटी बात सुनकर सब बोर हो गए।"
老生常谈
Transliteration: lǎo shēng cháng tán
"他讲的那个笑话简直是个老生常谈。"
진부한 이야기
Transliteration: jinbuhan iyagi
"그것은 이미 모두가 아는 진부한 이야기일 뿐이다."
手垢のついた話
Transliteration: teaka no tsuita hanashi
"彼のスピーチは手垢のついた話の繰り返しだった。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all French termsA detailed course of action designed to be executed to mitigate the impact of an unexpected emergency, disaster, or critical event.
The criminal act of breaking into and entering a house with felonious intent.
An event, condition, or action that directly initiates or activates a specific danger, emergency, or hazardous situation.
Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Old chestnut"
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