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I’ve been wondering why “past times” is wrong and only “times past” is correct and grammatical. When we refer to some events which occurred in the past, we can say “past events.” But why can’t we say “past times,” when we want to say the times which already passed?

Mayjio
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    I'd say: idiom: an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself [...] grammatically [...] – Řídící Mar 31 '19 at 15:18

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Because times past is a phrase that uses a post positive adjective such as: President elect or heir apparent or Clash Royale.

Uhtred Ragnarsson
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  • Thank you for the detailed explanation! Still one question remains.. then why “past events” is acceptable? – Mayjio Mar 31 '19 at 15:47
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    'Past times' is not wrong or ungrammatical. It's just that 'times past' is one of those set phrases that are commonly used in their inverted form. – Kate Bunting Mar 31 '19 at 15:59
  • 'Set phrase' is a kindly description. Cliché would be a equally valid but less Kindly! – Philip Wood Mar 31 '19 at 22:20