back to square one
bak too SKWAIR WUN
/bæk tu skwɛr wʌn/
Back to the very beginning, usually because a previous attempt failed.
Implies a sense of frustration at having to restart after making progress.
The story behind the word. The most popular theory is from early BBC radio football (soccer) broadcasts. The pitch was divided into a grid of eight squares to help listeners follow the ball. Square one was the area near the goalkeeper.
Word relationships
- start over: 'Start over' is the action; 'back to square one' is the state of being at the beginning again.
- make headway: 'Make headway' means to make progress forward.
Commonly confused with
- back to the drawing board: These are nearly identical, though 'drawing board' specifically implies redesigning a plan.
Collocations
- right back to square one
- start at square one
- return to square one
Example sentences
- "When the client rejected the entire design, we were back to square one." Project management
- "The experiment didn't yield any results, so it's back to square one for the team." Scientific research
Memory hook
Think of a board game like Snakes and Ladders where you land on a snake and go back to the start. Restart from the start.
When not to use
Not used if the restart is a positive choice; it usually implies a forced restart.
Fun facts
- Some believe it comes from 'Hopscotch', where players must return to the first square if they miss.
- The phrase first appeared in print in the 1950s.
Related words
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