Idiom
Back to square one
Back to square one means back to the beginning, after an effort has failed, so you have to start again.
How people use it
People use it after a setback that wipes out progress: lost files, a failed experiment, a rejected plan. The usual pattern is "be back to square one" or "go back to square one." The tone is informal and often a little frustrated. A close match is "back to the drawing board," which suggests redesigning a plan. Back to square one is about losing progress, not about choosing a fresh start.
Also said: go back to square one.
Examples
- The printer ate my essay, so I'm back to square one.
- When the investors pulled out, the small company was back to square one.
- If this recipe fails again, we'll go back to square one and try another.
Where it comes from
No one knows for sure. One popular theory links it to early BBC radio soccer commentary, where listeners followed the play on a grid of numbered squares printed in a magazine, but the evidence for this is weak. Board games such as snakes and ladders, where a player can be sent back to the first square, are another likely source. The phrase is recorded from the middle of the 1900s.
Check yourself
1. If your project is back to square one, where are you?
Answer: At the very beginning again. Back to square one means you must start over.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: The puzzle was nearly done until the cat knocked it over, and now we're back to square one.. The progress was lost, so they have to start again.
Similar idioms
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