Exploring Derry Girls murals and the city’s history

What does “come flooding back” mean in English?

If you visit a place from your past and old memories rush into your mind all at once, you can say they “came flooding back.” The word “flood” gives a picture of water rushing in — fast, strong, and hard to stop. The phrase works with memories, feelings, and emotions. You might say: “When I heard that song, all my childhood memories came flooding back.” It feels natural in everyday British and Irish English.

In the clip, a presenter meets actor Saoirse-Monica Jackson on the walls of Derry, where the actress went to school. As they walk through the city, the presenter asks her: “Has that schooling come flooding back into your head?” It’s a light, friendly moment — the presenter knows the actress has been playing a schoolgirl on TV, and wonders if being back in Derry brings it all back. You can use the phrase with many subjects: “The memories came flooding back,” “The feelings came flooding back,” “It all came flooding back to me.” In everyday speech it almost always appears in the past tense. The word “to” often follows: “it all came flooding back to me.” A simpler phrase with the same meaning is “rush back,” but “come flooding back” sounds more vivid in natural speech.