blast from the past

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blast from the past (plural blasts from the past)

1. (colloquial, humorous, idiomatic) Something or someone that a person has not seen for a long time and that which evokes nostalgic feelings.
   • 1981 May 9, Bill Lyon, “An Old Warhorse Still Has His Dream”, in The Evening Independent‎:

     Now there's a golden oldie, a blast from the past, when the heavyweight division was still strong and vibrant and unified (...)

   • 1996 August 31, “Mr. Clinton's Bridge”, in The New York Times‎:

     In the process, he managed to make the Republican tax cut sound like a blast from the past.

   • 2002, Hillary Frank, Better Than Running at Night‎, →ISBN, page 227:

     "Ellie!" he shouted. "What a blast from the past! This is just like old times, when you used to walk in that very door!"

   • 2009 September 6, Jeff E. Schapiro, “Thesis fracas may not give Deeds the boost he needs”, in Richmond Times-Dispatch‎:

     But their early celebration was interrupted by a blast from the past: gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell's controversial 1989 graduate-school thesis (...)

• golden oldie