Has-been

How does it feel to be a has-been?

Source: tatoeba (7127066)

It's better to be a has-been than a never-was.

Source: tatoeba (10636038)

Despite all the recent hullabaloo about humankind preparing to go to Mars, we should not overlook the practicality of our Moon—Luna—being possibly the first substantial step of human colonization outside our Earth—Terra. Luna is very much closer than Mars, to Terra. What astronauts, taikonauts, or cosmonauts need really is to practice their space skills on a Moon base. People need to know how to live on worlds with lower gravity. People need to know how to make and raise babies outside Earth. People need to know how to simply live on a different world, and that practice would likely find itself on the Moon. Practice makes perfect. And Luna is it. I have read a research paper supporting the idea of a human facility on the Moon, to prepare us humankind for farther objectives. It would take a long, long time... No, humankind has not yet conquered the Moon! The current romantic focus on Mars is partly because some people think that humankind indeed has conquered the Moon, which is, therefore, a "has-been" for space exploration. Such is a falsehood. Wake up, humanity! Other countries do know...

Source: tatoeba (13020466)

When the aforesaid alderman or another wishes to express mild contemptuosity for his fellows and himself in future I would suggest “old fossils” or “old has beens,” or “old fogies,” then the Sir Galahads that are always riding—or driving—about in this progressive dorp will not have any cause to complain.

Source: wiktionary