trash heap of history
- noun
- /træʃ hip ʌp əv ˈhɪstəri/
- Informal
- The old beliefs about the earth being flat belong in the trash heap of history.
Examples
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Many failed policies have ended up on the trash heap of history.
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That outdated technology belongs in the trash heap of history.
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Their once-popular movement is now just a trash heap of history.
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Many outdated technologies are now a trash heap of history.
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Many failed policies have ended up on the trash heap of history.
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That outdated technology belongs in the trash heap of history.
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The old beliefs about the earth being flat belong in the trash heap of history.
Synonyms
Something from the past that is no longer important
Something that people do not use or think about anymore
A past event or fact that many people no longer care about
An object, custom, or idea from long ago that seems out of date
How Obsolete
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase composes transparent parts: 'trash heap' evokes a pile of discarded rubbish and 'of history' marks those things as belonging to or rejected by the past, so the sense 'discarded/obsolete things' is directly inferable from the constituents. This disposal metaphor is common in English and in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the component words would very likely grasp the intended meaning.
Etymology
Trash heap of history creates a picture of a pile of rubbish (trash heap) where old things are thrown away as time passes (history). That's why calling an idea part of the trash heap of history means it is 'discarded' or 'no longer important'.