old stamping ground

the/(one's) old stamping ground(s)

A favorite place where one used to frequent; a location where one used to spend a lot of time. It's been a long time since I've been back to my old stamping ground by the lake! After the reunion, everyone from the old gang of friends went to our stamping grounds, just like we used to do back in high school.
See also: old, stamp
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

old stamping ground

A favorite or habitual haunt. This Americanism dates from the eighteenth century and originally referred to a place where horses or cattle were gathered together (presumably stamping down the ground with their hooves). By the early 1800s it had been transferred to a gathering place for human beings. D. Dunklin used it in an 1821 letter: “It is unnecessary to undertake to give you any details of affairs in your old stamping ground.”
See also: ground, old, stamp
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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