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once upon a time

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once upon a time

Cliché once in the past. (A formula used to begin a fairy tale.) Once upon a time, there were three bears. Once upon a time, I had a puppy of my own.

See also: once, time, upon

once upon a time

long ago I had worked for some big companies once upon a time, but later I was self-employed.

Usage notes: often used to begin a children's story: Once upon a time, in a far-off kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess.

See also: once, time, upon

once upon a time

  (literary)

1. a long time ago

Usage notes: This phrase is often used as a way of beginning children's stories.

Once upon a time there lived a young girl called Cinderella.

2. if you say that something happened once upon a time, you mean that it happened in the past and you wish that it still happened now Once upon a time, everyone knew each other in this town and nobody bothered locking their doors.

See also: once, time, upon

once upon a time

On some past occasion, as in I may have sung this piece once upon a time, but I don't really remember it. This phrase, first recorded in 1595, is frequently used as the opening line of fairy tales and stories told to children, as in Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters.

See also: once, time, upon