| Idiom | Back to Square One |
|---|---|
| Example | Our design for a solar-powered washing machine didn't work, so it's back to square one. |
| Meaning | return to the beginning because of a failure to accomplish the desired result |
| Origin | There are many board and street games that have squares or boxes. Each player must start at the first square and try to advance to the finish line or last box to win. If, for any reason, you have to go back to square one, you're starting over from the beginning. A similar saying is "back to the drawing board," where architects begin blueprints or sketches for each project. When a project fails to work out, you may have to start over again from the original drawings to improve your chances for success. |
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