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If you were partying when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s, you’re likely doing one of three things: laying a big smooch on a loved one, downing a flute of bubbly, or belting out the lyrics to the classic “Auld Lang Syne.” Many of us can sing along with the opening line of “Should old acquaintance be forgot,” but what does the titular phrase actually mean? To better understand auld lang syne, let’s travel back in time to Scotland in the 17th century.
Robert Burns
The Oxford English Dictionary defines auld lang syne as a Scottish phrase meaning “times long past,” “times long ago,” or “old times,” and it’s used to evoke memories of old relationships and loyalties. The enduring popularity of the phrase is thanks to the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote a 1788 song titled “Auld Lang Syne,” which was later published in 1796. But Burns was known for finding inspiration in folk songs and improving upon them. Sir Robert Ayton, one of the earliest Scottish poets to write in standard English, wrote a poem titled Old Long Syne in the 1600s, but it wasn’t published until long after his death in 1711. Some believe that Burns drew inspiration from this earlier poem.
Media Release/Word Smarts
