Definitions for back to square one
back to square one

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. back to square oneadverb

   Back to the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

2. back to square oneadjective

   Located back at the start, as after a dead-end or failure.

3. Etymology: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase most likely originated from children's games such as hopscotch and snakes and ladders. The earliest recorded use of it in print is from a 1952 edition of the Economic Journal.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. back to square one

   The Square-1 is a variant of the Rubik's Cube. Its distinguishing feature among the numerous Rubik's Cube variants is that it can change shape as it is twisted, due to the way it is cut, thus adding an extra level of challenge and difficulty. The Super Square One and Square Two puzzles have also been introduced. The Super Square One has two additional layers that can be scrambled and solved independently of the rest of the puzzle, and the Square Two has extra cuts made to the top and bottom layer, making the edge and corner wedges the same size.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Back to square one

   "Back to square one" is a phrase that means to go back to the beginning. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase most likely originated from children's games such as hopscotch and snakes and ladders. The earliest recorded use of it in print is from a 1952 edition of the Economic Journal. An alternative theory is that the phrase originated from early radio commentaries of football matches by the BBC in the United Kingdom. The first live radio commentary featured a Division One match between Arsenal and Sheffield United, broadcast on January 22, 1927. A grid of a football pitch divided into eight numbered squares had been printed in the previous week's Radio Times so the commentator could describe the ball's location. Square one meant the rear left quadrant of the defender's side of the field. The theory postulates that whenever a game was restarted from a goal kick, it would be in square one, hence the phrase. However, as is clear from the diagram, there are four possible squares from which a goal kick could be taken. Furthermore, the squares system was dropped by the BBC soon after its inception, and the OED notes that over 20 years passed between its abandonment and the first recorded use of the phrase in print. A number of recordings of commentary using the system survive; the phrase "back to square one" does not appear in any of them.

How to pronounce back to square one?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say back to square one in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of back to square one in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of back to square one in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of back to square one in a Sentence

1. Hassan Rouhani:

   If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in the oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one (and will resume our commitments).

2. Theresa May:

   If the proposal were to go back to square one and negotiate a new deal, that would mean a much longer extension – almost certainly requiring the United Kingdom to participate in the European Parliament elections in May, the idea of the British people going to the polls to elect MEPs three years after voting to leave the EU hardly bears thinking about. There could be no more potent symbol of parliament's collective political failure.

3. Margaret Ore:

   We're kind of back to square one.

4. Dolores Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo:

   Our farmers will have to go back to square one and plant again. We will need new seedlings.

5. Nyabuto John Kiyondi:

   She was assisting me financially to educate her siblings, particularly in terms of school fees and other expenses. I'm stuck now and back to square one. I'm wondering how her younger siblings will continue schooling.

References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Back_to_Square_One
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_Square_One
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=back to square one