age-old trouble
noun phraseUK /ˌeɪdʒ ˈəʊld ˈtrʌbəl/
US /ˌeɪdʒ ˈoʊld ˈtrʌbəl/
A problem that has been around for a very long time.
The age-old trouble of siblings arguing over toys never seems to end.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A difficulty that people have faced since ancient times.
War is an age-old trouble that humanity still struggles with.
3. A familiar, recurring problem that feels impossible to solve.
Traffic jams are an age-old trouble in big cities.
4. A hardship passed down through generations.
The farmers spoke of the age-old trouble of drought.