history

(the) rest is history

Fig. Everyone knows the rest of the story that I am referring to. Bill: Then they arrested all the officers of the corporation, and the rest is history. Bob: Hey, what happened between you and Sue? Bill: Finally we realized that we could never get along, and the rest is history.

See also: rest

ancient history

Fig. someone or something from so long ago as to be completely forgotten or no longer important, as a former relationship. Bob? I never think about Bob anymore. He's ancient history. His interest in joining the army is now ancient history.

Happy is the country which has no history.

Prov. Since history tends to record only violent, unfortunate, or tumultuous events, a country with no history would be a country lucky enough to have no such unhappy events to record. The history of our country is so full of greed, violence, and dishonesty; happy is the country which has no history.

See also: country, happy, has

History repeats itself.

Prov. The same kinds of events seem to happen over and over. It seems that history is about to repeat itself for that poor country; it is about to be invaded again. Alan: The country is headed for an economic depression. Jane: How do you know? Alan: History repeats itself. The conditions now are just like the conditions before the last major depression.

See also: itself

I'm history.

Inf. Good-bye, I am leaving. I'm history. See you tomorrow. Later. I'm history.

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the rest is history

something that you say when you do not need to finish a story because everyone knows what happened The Beatles signed a recording contract in 1962 and the rest is history.

See There's no peace for the wicked!

See also: rest

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go down in history

to be recorded in a particular way I think that, in the end, this will go down in history as a very important project.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form go down in the annals of history or go down in the history books: He hopes to go down in the history books as a man of vision who brought the country together.

Related vocabulary: go down as something

history in the making

something very important that is happening now The broadcast gave a vivid account of medical history in the making.

See also: making

make history

to do something important that will be remembered for a long time Faulkner made history Wednesday when she became the first woman to register for classes at the all-male college.

Usage notes: often said about something that has not been done before

Related vocabulary: go down as something

See also: make

the rest is history

everyone knows what happened next The Beatles toured the US, made records, had zillions of groupies, and the rest is history.

See also: rest