auld lang syne

English

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auld lang syne

/ˌɔːld læŋ ˈsaɪn/ UK
/-ˈzaɪn/ UK
/ˌɔl(d)læŋ ˈsaɪn/ US
/ˌoʊl(d)-/ US
/ˌɑl(d)-/ US
/-ˈzaɪn/ US
/ˌɔld ˌlæŋ ˈsaɪn/ Scotland

Where it comes from

From Scots auld lang syne (“old long ago”, literally “old long since”), popularized by the poem “Auld Lang Syne” (1788) by Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns (1759–1796) based on an older song.

noun old lang syne · old long syne

idiomatic, uncountable Days gone by; former times. Is thy ſweet Heart now grown ſo cold, / that loving Breaﬅ of thine; / That thou canﬅ never once reflect / on Old long ſyne. / [Chorus] On Old long ſyne my Jo, / on Old long ſyne, / That thou canﬅ never once reflect, / on Old long ſyne.

Translations

Every language

noun days gone by

Português	antigas
Français	temps jadis, ancien temps

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MLA

"auld lang syne." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/auld%20lang%20syne. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

auld lang syne. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/auld%20lang%20syne

Chicago

"auld lang syne." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/auld%20lang%20syne.

BibTeX

@misc{auld_lang_syne_2026,
  title = {auld lang syne},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/auld%20lang%20syne},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}