blast from the past

B

blast from the past

Meaning

• a way to refer to something or someone reminding you of an earlier time.
• something or someone that surprises you because you have almost forgotten about them.
• something from the past that you remember, see, or hear again, reminds you of that time in your life.

Example Sentences

1. What a blast from the past! I haven’t heard that song in years.
2. This yearbook picture is a blast from the past.
3. That nickname is a blast from the past. No one has called me that in years!
4. Watching that movie again was a real blast from the past.

Origin

“Blast from the past” is an idiom made popular in the 1960s. Music and radio DJs were beginning to grow in popularity. It’s been said the term was popularized by DJs playing records and songs long forgotten. It’s impossible to identify which DJ coined the term, but it has been a popular phrase ever since its first use.

A DJ explains how a song is a “blast from the past” because it hasn’t been heard by the general audience in a long time. The DJ plays the song, and people immediately smile, cheer, or clap because of the memories the melody provides. The song is normally a popular one from a previous decade, so people may actually know the song. It’s just not heard on the radio anymore because newer songs have replaced them.

Past, Time