Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb idiomatic As an
opener , a sometimes sarcasticindicator to indicate a past event being mentioned is particularly important. - adverb archaic Used other than as an idiom: 87
years prior totoday .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
In Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, he used this (at the time) commonplace measure of score, meaning "20 years". In modern language, it would be simply "87 years ago". However, the widespread notoriety of Lincoln's address, the unusual wording and its status as the first words of the speech have caused the phrase to enter the public consciousness.
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Examples
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