old as the hills
Extremely old.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That joke is as old as the hills.”
“My grandmother lives in a house that is as old as the hills, but she loves it.”
“The traditions practiced by the villagers are as old as the hills, having been passed down through countless generations.”
disputed origin
Possibly a reference to the Bible, specifically the King James Version of Job 15:7, which enquires: “Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou made before the hills?” The phrase suggests a degree of antiquity that predates human memory, though the attribution remains a matter of probability rather than settled record.
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any old nook or cranny
Alternative form of any nook or cranny.
- 02
bad old days
The past, seen as a time when things were worse.
- 03
big old
Emphatically or impressively big; really big.
- 04
chip off the old block
Someone who takes after one of their parents; (generally) a person similar to another.
- 05
come the old soldier
Often followed by with: to deceive, impose upon, or take advantage of someone, as if exploiting one's superior age or experience.
- 06
every old nook and cranny
Alternative form of every nook and cranny.
- 07
give someone the old heave-ho
Alternative form of give someone the heave-ho.
- 08
gold in them thar hills
An opportunity for something to be profitable and/or beneficial.
Last updated August 10, 2026