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once upon a time

   Also found in: Acronyms, Wikipedia 0.06 sec.
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  (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
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


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? References in classic literature
Sire, there was once upon a time a merchant who possessed great wealth, in land and merchandise, as well as in ready money.
A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way off, where there were in those days fairies.
ONCE upon a time he would not have acted thus; but characters differ.
 
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