old chestnut
Worn-out tired story
An old chestnut is a joke, story, or idea that has been repeated so often it has lost its freshness or impact.
The phrase carries affectionate dismissiveness—the thing may have been good once but has grown stale through overuse: He trotted out the old chestnut about the traveling salesman.
Sometimes shortened to just chestnut.
Trite, overused remark
- banalityTiresome lack of originality
- tritenessState of being overused
- hackneyedOverused and unoriginal
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
bromide · corny · predictable · unoriginal · derivative · tired · worn-out · threadbare
Humor's final delivery
- gagMouth restraint or jest
- quipBrief, clever remark
- wisecrackFlippant clever remark
- jestHumorous remark or act
one-liner · anecdote · groaner · vaudeville · schtick · corny · eye-roll · retelling
Unaffected by eras
- enduringPersisting through time
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- vintageQuality from past eras
- nostalgicLonging for the past
age-old · perennial · evergreen · established · venerable · reliable · proven · staple
Spoken or written narrative
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- narrativeAccount of events
- retellingNarrating something anew
reminiscence · campfire · rehashing · embellished · exaggerated · twice-told · apocryphal
platitude
Trite, overused remark
- banalityTiresome lack of originality
- tritenessState of being overused
- hackneyedOverused and unoriginal
stereotype · bromide · corny · predictable · unoriginal · derivative · tired · worn-out · threadbare · shopworn
punchline
Humor's final delivery
jest · one-liner · anecdote · groaner · vaudeville · schtick · corny · eye-roll · retelling · setup
timeless
Unaffected by eras
- enduringPersisting through time
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- vintageQuality from past eras
nostalgic · age-old · perennial · evergreen · established · venerable · reliable · proven · staple · archetypal
tale
Spoken or written narrative
retelling · reminiscence · campfire · rehashing · embellished · exaggerated · twice-told · apocryphal
- clichescliche, platitude, bromide, tired phrase, worn phrase
- jokesjokes, joke, puns, one-liners, pun
- sayingssayings, saying, proverb, proverbs, adage
old chestnutfresh take
original content · breaking news · virgin territory · hot take · new angle
old chestnutshowstopper
Spectacular crowd-pleasing performance
crowd-pleaser · zinger · jaw-dropper · revelation · bombshell