Do you know what ‘Auld Lang Syne’ means?

It’s an annual affliction: getting the traditional New Year’s ballad “Auld Lang Syne” stuck in your head. Most of us only really know the first line or so, maybe some of the chorus, and even fewer of us know what the title actually means.

It’s a Scots phrase that translates to “old long since” – think of “days gone by” and you’ve got the gist – and though the song was written by poet Robert Burns in 1788, he claims he was simply the first to write it down. No matter who’s responsible, the title is just about perfect for the occasion.

– Dan Stefano, WordWrite