donkey's years
A very long time
Donkey's years means a very long time: I haven't seen her in donkey's years.
The phrase is British in origin and informal, suggesting an indefinitely lengthy period—perhaps playing on the long ears of a donkey as a pun on "years," or simply on the animal's reputation for longevity.
Extended time spans
eternity · lifetime · decades · centuries · millennia · epoch · era · blue moon
British surprise interjection
- yonksInformal British eternity
- matePartner or companion
- blokeInformal British man
- chuffedBritish slang for pleased
knackered · quid · cuppa · telly · gobsmacked · punter · natter · codswallop
Recalling past experiences
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
- old timesPrevious era remembered fondly
way back · past · history · golden days · long ago · once upon a time · back in the day · old days
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- dramatizationConverting events to performance
- stretchPull to extend
tall tale · whopper · amplification · inflation · coloring · magnification · fish story · excess
ages
Extended time spans
forever · eternity · lifetime · decades · centuries · millennia · epoch · era · blue moon · time immemorial
blimey
British surprise interjection
chuffed · knackered · quid · cuppa · telly · gobsmacked · punter · natter · codswallop · naff
reminiscence
Recalling past experiences
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
old times · way back · past · history · golden days · long ago · once upon a time · back in the day · old days
hyperbole
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- dramatizationConverting events to performance
stretch · tall tale · whopper · amplification · inflation · coloring · magnification · fish story · excess · overkill