days of yore

A time in the past or of a bygone era, especially one remembered nostalgically. Can be used ironically to mock such sentiment. In days of yore, people had to rely on their own hands for the food on their table, not the massively processed food we get from the supermarket nowadays. Many people long for a time gone past when societal roles were clearly defined. They fail to remember, though, that in such days of yore, horrible inequality was rife.

Time past. “Days of yore” is an archaic phrase once used in historical narratives (e.g., describing tales of King Arthur and his Round Table) and now heard only – and very rarely—in a humorous context. “Yore” comes from the Middle English word for “year,” which echoes its archaism.