Synonym Game

once upon a time

[wuhns] Origin

once

[wuhns]
adverb
1.
at one time in the past; formerly: I was a farmer once; a once powerful nation.
2.
a single time: We ate there just once. We go to a movie once a week.
3.
even a single time; at any time; ever: If the facts once become known, it will be just too bad.
4.
by a single step, degree, or grade: a cousin once removed.
adjective
5.
former; having at one time been: the once and future king.

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Once upon a time is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
conjunction
6.
if or when at any time; if ever.
7.
whenever; as soon as: Once you're finished, you can leave.
noun
8.
a single occasion; one time only: Once is enough.
9.
all at once,
a.
simultaneously: The children were running, screaming, and throwing things all at once.
b.
suddenly: All at once the rain came down.
10.
at once,
a.
at the same time; simultaneously: Don't all speak at once.
b.
immediately; promptly: Tell him to come at once!
11.
once and again, repeatedly: He has been told once and again not to slam the door.
12.
once and for all, decisively; finally: Let's settle this problem once and for all. Also, once for all.
13.
once in a while, at intervals; occasionally: She stops in to see us once in a while.
EXPAND
14.
once or twice, a very few times; infrequently: I've seen her in the elevator once or twice.
15.
once upon a time, at some unspecified past time, especially a long time ago: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a prince and princess.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 1150; Middle English ones, Old English ānes, orig. genitive of ān one; replacing Middle English enes, Old English ǣnes once, equivalent to ǣne once (orig. instrumental of ān) + -es adv. suffix; see -s1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

once
c.1200, anes, from ane "one" + adverbial genitive. Replaced O.E. æne. Spelling changed as pronunciation shifted from two syllables to one after c.1300. Pronunciation change to "wuns" parallels that of one. As an emphatic, meaning "once and for all," it is attested from
EXPAND
c.1300, but this now is regarded as a Pennsylvania German dialect formation. Meaning "in a past time" (but not necessarily just one time) is from c.1250. Once upon a time as the beginning of a story is recorded from 1595. Slang once-over "inspection" is from 1915. At once originally (c.1230) meant "simultaneously," later "in one company" (c.1300), and preserved the sense of "one" in the word; the phrase typically appeared as one word, atones; the modern meaning "immediately" is attested from 1531.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

once upon a time

On some past occasion, as in I may have sung this piece once upon a time, but I don't really remember it. This phrase, first recorded in 1595, is frequently used as the opening line of fairy tales and stories told to children, as in Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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