1. Home
2. Idioms
3. let bygones be bygones

let bygones be bygones

---

---

Let bygones be bygones.

Cliché Forgive someone for something he or she did in the past. Jill: Why don't you want to invite Ellen to your party? Jane: She was rude to me at the off ice picnic. Jill: But that was six months ago. Let bygones be bygones. Nancy held a grudge against her teacher for a long time, but she finally decided to let bygones be bygones.

See also: bygone, let

let bygones be bygones

forget about unpleasant things that have happened in the past There is a feeling here that we should let bygones be bygones and move on to more important things.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form bygones are bygones: What is past history is history, what is done is finished, and bygones are bygones.

See also: bygone, let

Let bygones be bygones.

  (slightly formal)

something that you say in order to tell someone to forget about unpleasant things that have happened in the past Why can't you put all that bad feeling behind you and let bygones be bygones?

See also: bygone, let

let bygones be bygones

What's done is done; don't worry about the past, especially past errors or grievances. For example, Bill and Tom shook hands and agreed to let bygones be bygones. [First half of 1600s]

See also: bygone, let