"avant la lettre"

Hi,

I'm translating a text in English, which includes the idiom above. I can't seem to find what it means in an English dictionary, nor in a French one.. I'd love to get the translation for it.
Thanks!

"Avant la lettre" means more or less "before the date".

It's used in this kind of sentence :

"Cucumis" est une sorte de "Yahoo answer" avant la lettre.

It means : "Cucumis" is a kind of "Yahoo answer" before it was released.

Maybe kafetzou can find a better english expression for it.

In Italy we always say it in Latin, "ante-litteram".

Would "a precursor to" work in your translation?