as old as the hills
Meaning: Extremely old.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “That trick is as old as the hills.”
Category: Nature
Origin: Hills seem to have been there forever. The comparison echoes biblical language and is found in English from the early 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Vieux comme Hérode — literally: Old as Herod
More idioms — Nature
- can't see the forest for the trees — Too focused on details to understand the whole situation.
- find one's sea legs — To get used to a boat's movement; to grow comfortable in a new situation.
- storm clouds are gathering — Trouble is coming.
- terra firma — Solid ground, as opposed to the sea or the air.
- a rolling stone gathers no moss — Someone who keeps moving never settles or accumulates anything; sometimes also, keeping a…
- little strokes fell great oaks — Small, steady efforts achieve great results.
More English idioms
- forewarned is forearmed — Knowing about something in advance lets you prepare.
- behind closed doors — In private or in secret.
- a low blow — An unfair or cruel attack.
- it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye — Rough play may seem harmless but can end in injury.
- the judgment of Solomon — A wise decision that cleverly settles a difficult dispute.
- six of one, half a dozen of the other — Two options are essentially the same.
From our compliments & insults
- Du gehst mir auf den Keks — You're getting on my nerves.
- Schlaumeier — A smart aleck or know-it-all.
- 石頭 (Ishiatama) — A stubborn, inflexible person who won't budge.