Stump your brain! ‘Not so ___ ago’ crossword explained

As a detective tasked with unraveling the enigmatic crossword clue, “not so ___ ago,” my thought process traveled through the twists and turns of language and time. Immersed in a world of literary puzzles, I delved into the depths of my knowledge to crack this case. The key to unlocking the answer lay in the subtle hints hidden within the clues. The phrase “not so” hinted at a comparison, urging me to search for an antonym that would complete the adverbial phrase with precision. A word signifying duration or an extended period of time seemed to fit the bill perfectly. As I pondered on the possibilities, it struck me that the word “long” encapsulates the essence of time, stretching back into the annals of history. The chosen answer effortlessly completed the phrase, “not so long ago,” revealing a snapshot of a recent past that still lingered within our collective memory.