meaning of "a sort of back number"

[logician]

Test No. incompl/advan-68 "Back Again", question 3

She was a very famous film star some 40 years ago but now she's regarded as unimportant - a sort of back
..........

(a) figure
(b) digit
(c) number
(d) person

Test No. incompl/advan-68 "Back Again", answer 3

She was a very famous film star some 40 years ago but now she's regarded as unimportant - a sort of back
number.

Correct answer: (c) number

Hello Alan and Torsten ! I don't understand the expression! .... a sort of back number....

thanks
Logician

[Alan]

Hi Logician,

This means the sort of person who is not now famous or important. It comes from the expression used for a magazine copy that is from the past and is not the current issue.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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