once upon a time
adv/ˈwʌns.əˈpɑn.əˈtaɪ̯m/
1
A long time ago; at some time in the past (a traditional beginning of children's stories, especially fairy tales).
- Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a beautiful princess.
- There was once upon a time a charcoal-burner who had a son, and he was also a charcoal-burner.1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 308:
1 more example
- Once upon a time, there was a Goblin Queen And she lived in a grand palace...2023, A. C. MacDonald, Twistwood Tales (comic), Andrews McMeel, →ISBN, page 138:
2
Formerly.
- Long before popular music evolved its many genres and subgenres, the industry was driven by a simple one-size-fits-all philosophy […] Songwriters, once upon a time, wrote songs for the masses.2012, Christoper Zara, chapter 2, in Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, page 51: