"Eso es cuento viejo" - Is there an idiom to express that in English? "Eso/ese es cuento viejo" means something that people say over and over again, but they are not serious about that, it is a lie. Here are some examples: - Salvadoran deputies say during their political campaign "We are going to work to the benefit of Salvadorans". - "I can teach you my native language in exchange for some practice of the language I'm learning". Everyone knows they won't do that.