time was
In days past
Time was introduces a nostalgic or wistful reference to how things used to be, implying contrast with the present: Time was, you could buy a house on a single income.
The phrase signals that what follows no longer holds true.
It's slightly literary or old-fashioned, often heard from older speakers reflecting on change.
- thenAt that time
- beforePrior in time
- reminiscenceRecalling past experiences
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- onceAt one time
recollection · antiquity · fondness · erstwhile · longing · formerly · musing · yearning · bygone · flashback · melancholy · previously · retrospection · earlier · nostalgia · sentimentality · era · anecdote