Sometimes, we hear phrases that sound strange, but they help us remember things better. These phrases are called idioms. Idioms are not meant to be taken exactly as they sound. They have special meanings that people understand. Idioms can be fun to learn and easy to remember. They also help people talk about feelings, thoughts, or stories in a more interesting way.
In this article, we will learn about idioms that talk about memories. Memories are things we remember from our past. These can be happy, funny, or even sad. People often use idioms to talk about old times. Some idioms help us describe good memories, while others talk about things we would rather forget. Let’s find out what these idioms mean and how they are used.
Idioms for Memories
1. A trip down memory lane
Meaning: Thinking about good times from the past
Give an Instance: Grandma told us about her school days it was a trip down memory lane. / Looking through old photos took me on a trip down memory lane.
Substitute Meaning: Remembering the past / Thinking about old times
2. In one ear and out the other
Meaning: Something heard but quickly forgotten
Give an Instance: I told my brother to clean his room, but it went in one ear and out the other. / The teacher’s rule went in one ear and out the other.
Substitute Meaning: Didn’t remember / Forgot right away
3. Etched in my memory
Meaning: Something remembered clearly for a long time
Give an Instance: My first day of school is etched in my memory. / That fun summer trip is etched in my memory.
Substitute Meaning: Stuck in my mind / Always remembered
4. A blast from the past
Meaning: Something that brings back memories
Give an Instance: Hearing that song was a blast from the past. / Seeing my old toy was a blast from the past.
Substitute Meaning: Memory flash / Old-time feeling
5. Slip your mind
Meaning: To forget something
Give an Instance: I meant to do my homework, but it slipped my mind. / Mom asked me to feed the dog, but it slipped my mind.
Substitute Meaning: Forgot / Didn’t remember
6. Bear in mind
Meaning: To remember something important
Give an Instance: Bear in mind that the test is on Friday. / Bear in mind to bring your lunch.
Substitute Meaning: Keep in mind / Don’t forget
7. Ring a bell
Meaning: Something sounds familiar
Give an Instance: That name rings a bell. / His face rings a bell, but I can’t remember from where.
Substitute Meaning: Seems familiar / Sounds known
8. Food for thought
Meaning: Something to think about
Give an Instance: Her advice gave me food for thought. / The teacher’s words were food for thought.
Substitute Meaning: Something to remember / Made me think
9. Lose your train of thought
Meaning: To forget what you were saying
Give an Instance: I lost my train of thought in the middle of the story. / He got distracted and lost his train of thought.
Substitute Meaning: Forgot what to say / Lost focus
10. Bring back memories
Meaning: Remind someone of the past
Give an Instance: This old movie brings back memories. / That smell brings back memories of Grandma’s cooking.
Substitute Meaning: Helps remember / Makes you think of before
11. A day to remember
Meaning: A special or unforgettable day
Give an Instance: My birthday party was a day to remember. / Winning the contest was a day to remember.
Substitute Meaning: Special memory / Unforgettable moment
12. Keep something in mind
Meaning: To remember something for later
Give an Instance: Keep in mind the spelling test is on Monday. / Keep in mind to say thank you.
Substitute Meaning: Don’t forget / Remember this
13. Off the top of my head
Meaning: Saying something from memory without checking
Give an Instance: Off the top of my head, I think his name is Ben. / I can’t remember the answer off the top of my head.
Substitute Meaning: Quick guess / First thought
14. Burned into my memory
Meaning: Something very clear in your mind
Give an Instance: The day we got our puppy is burned into my memory. / That scary movie is burned into my memory.
Substitute Meaning: Hard to forget / Always there
15. Memory like a sieve
Meaning: A person who forgets things easily
Give an Instance: I forgot my notebook again I have a memory like a sieve. / He’s got a memory like a sieve when it comes to homework.
Substitute Meaning: Forgetful / Can’t remember well
16. Out of sight, out of mind
Meaning: You forget things when you don’t see them
Give an Instance: I lost interest in the toy out of sight, out of mind. / When summer ended, the beach became out of sight, out of mind.
Substitute Meaning: Easy to forget / Don’t think about it
17. Jog your memory
Meaning: To help someone remember something
Give an Instance: I showed her a picture to jog her memory. / Hearing the song jogged my memory.
Substitute Meaning: Help remember / Bring back the thought
18. At the back of my mind
Meaning: Something you are kind of thinking about
Give an Instance: I had the test at the back of my mind all day. / The idea was always at the back of my mind.
Substitute Meaning: Kind of remembered / Still thinking about
19. Take a walk down memory lane
Meaning: Remembering old, good times
Give an Instance: Looking at my baby pictures is like taking a walk down memory lane. / My dad took a walk down memory lane when he saw his old bike.
Substitute Meaning: Remember old times / Think back
20. Keep it fresh in your mind
Meaning: Try to not forget it
Give an Instance: Keep the rules fresh in your mind. / Review the words to keep them fresh in your mind.
Substitute Meaning: Remember often / Don’t let it fade
21. Stick in your mind
Meaning: Easy to remember
Give an Instance: That funny joke stuck in my mind all day. / Her kind words really stuck in my mind.
Substitute Meaning: Hard to forget / Stayed with me
22. From memory
Meaning: Without looking at notes or help
Give an Instance: I recited the poem from memory. / He solved the math problem from memory.
Substitute Meaning: Without help / From your head
23. Bad memory
Meaning: Something you don’t like to remember
Give an Instance: Falling on stage was a bad memory. / That rainy trip was a bad memory.
Substitute Meaning: Sad memory / Not a good one
24. Good memory
Meaning: Something nice to remember
Give an Instance: My trip to Disneyland is a good memory. / Her laugh is a good memory.
Substitute Meaning: Happy time / Nice to recall
25. Short memory
Meaning: Forgets things quickly
Give an Instance: He has a short memory he forgot what I just said. / I told her twice, but she has a short memory.
Substitute Meaning: Forgetful / Doesn’t remember much
26. Fuzzy memory
Meaning: Not clear in your mind
Give an Instance: I have a fuzzy memory of that day. / Things are fuzzy from when I was little.
Substitute Meaning: Hard to remember / Not clear
27. Hold on to a memory
Meaning: Keep remembering something special
Give an Instance: I hold on to the memory of my old dog. / She holds on to the memory of her best friend.
Substitute Meaning: Keep remembering / Don’t let it fade
28. In living memory
Meaning: Something that happened during your life
Give an Instance: That was the biggest snowstorm in living memory. / The best party in living memory!
Substitute Meaning: While we’ve been alive / As long as we remember
29. On the tip of my tongue
Meaning: You almost remember something
Give an Instance: His name is on the tip of my tongue! / I know the answer it’s on the tip of my tongue.
Substitute Meaning: Almost remembered / Can’t quite say it
30. Refresh your memory
Meaning: Help remember something again
Give an Instance: I read the notes to refresh my memory. / We watched the movie trailer to refresh our memory.
Substitute Meaning: Remember again / Go over it
31. Lock it in your memory
Meaning: Try hard to remember
Give an Instance: Lock the password in your memory. / She locked the directions in her memory.
Substitute Meaning: Remember strongly / Keep in mind
32. Memory fades
Meaning: Something is starting to be forgotten
Give an Instance: My memory of the trip is fading. / Over time, that memory faded away.
Substitute Meaning: Slowly forgotten / Not clear anymore
33. Lost in thought
Meaning: Deeply thinking about something
Give an Instance: He sat quietly, lost in thought. / She was lost in thought about her vacation.
Substitute Meaning: Thinking deeply / Mind far away
34. Make memories
Meaning: Do something worth remembering
Give an Instance: Let’s make memories on this trip! / We made great memories at the beach.
Substitute Meaning: Have fun / Create good times
35. Memory serves me right
Meaning: If I remember correctly
Give an Instance: If memory serves me right, the test is today. / If memory serves, she was the winner last year.
Substitute Meaning: I think I remember / If I’m right
36. Remember like it was yesterday
Meaning: Remember something very clearly
Give an Instance: I remember my first bike like it was yesterday. / She remembers the game like it was yesterday.
Substitute Meaning: Very clear memory / Still fresh
37. Not a memory to cherish
Meaning: Something you don’t want to remember
Give an Instance: That rainy field trip is not a memory to cherish. / Falling in the mud is not a memory to cherish.
Substitute Meaning: Not fun to remember / A bad time
38. Bittersweet memory
Meaning: A memory that is happy and sad at the same time
Give an Instance: Saying goodbye to friends was a bittersweet memory. / The last day of school is always bittersweet.
Substitute Meaning: Happy and sad / Mixed feelings
39. Push it out of your mind
Meaning: Try to forget something
Give an Instance: Try to push that scary thought out of your mind. / She pushed the bad memory out of her mind.
Substitute Meaning: Try not to think / Forget it
40. Let it slip your mind
Meaning: To forget to do something
Give an Instance: Sorry, it slipped my mind to call you. / The meeting slipped my mind.
Substitute Meaning: Forgot to remember / Didn’t think of it
41. Memory lane
Meaning: Talking or thinking about the past
Give an Instance: We were walking down memory lane while talking about school. / That picture took me down memory lane.
Substitute Meaning: Talk about old times / Think back
42. Bad memory haunts me
Meaning: A sad or scary memory that stays
Give an Instance: That nightmare still haunts me. / The fire is a memory that haunts them.
Substitute Meaning: Still bothers me / Hard to forget
43. Bring to mind
Meaning: Makes you think of something
Give an Instance: That song brings to mind last summer. / Her smile brings to mind Grandma.
Substitute Meaning: Reminds me of / Makes me think
44. As far as I can remember
Meaning: From what I can recall
Give an Instance: As far as I can remember, we never had a snow day that year. / That’s how it happened, as far as I can remember.
Substitute Meaning: I think that’s right / From my memory
45. Memory fails me
Meaning: When you can’t remember something
Give an Instance: My memory fails me I can’t recall the name. / His memory failed him during the test.
Substitute Meaning: Forgot / Can’t recall
Find the “Idioms for Memories”
Reading Passage
Last week, our class went on a field trip to the history museum. As soon as we got there, our teacher said, “Let’s make memories today.” The first thing I saw was a toy from the 1980s. It was a real blast from the past. It even jogged my memory of something I once saw in my grandma’s attic.
Later, we watched an old movie clip. One student said it brought back memories of when she watched black-and-white movies with her grandpa. I could tell it was etched in her memory. Our teacher reminded us to keep everything we learned fresh in our minds. But I think for some of us, it went in one ear and out the other.
At lunch, someone said the trip was a day to remember. We all agreed. I took so many pictures I didn’t want anything to slip my mind. After the trip, we wrote journal entries to lock the day in our memory. Mine came right from memory, with no notes at all.
That night, I looked at my photos again. Each one helped me take a trip down memory lane.
Directions for Students
Read the story again. Find and underline or list all the idioms related to memories.
Answer Key
- Make memories
- A blast from the past
- Jogged my memory
- Brought back memories
- Etched in her memory
- Keep fresh in our minds
- In one ear and out the other
- A day to remember
- Slip my mind
- Lock the day in our memory
- From memory
- Trip down memory lane
Conclusion
Idioms for memories help us talk about the past in a special way. They are short phrases, but they can carry big meaning. These idioms can make stories and talks more fun and easier to understand.
Whether you say something is “etched in your memory” or that it “slipped your mind,” these expressions help explain how we remember or forget things. Try using them when you tell your own stories. They make sharing memories more interesting and clear.
