BACK TO SQUARE ONE
This means ‘back to where you started...and that you have made no progress’. You will need to start ALL over again. Perhaps, this time, with a different plan, a more successful one. Let’s listen to two short conversations to see how this phrase can be used.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
a. rack your brain: try really hard to remember or think of something
b. figure out: discover the answer
c. to crash (of a computer): when a computer program stops functioning properly and exits
d. Hello, Stranger!: jokingly said to someone you know but have not seen for a long time.
e. come up with: to produce or think of something when pressured or challenged
f. curn out: to produce something quickly, like ideas, books, etc.
g. rack (our) brains: try hard to think of or remember something
CONVERSATION #1
a. What’s the matter?
b. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how to install this program?
a. What kind of program is it?
b. It’s just a photo editing program. Anyway, I finally figured it out when the computer crashed. When I turned it back on, the program was missing, so now I’m BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
a. Listen, it can’t be that difficult.
b. But, it is that difficult. It’s all in Japanese.
a. Isn’t there a language option that allows you to switch to English?
b. No. I’ve already checked.
a. How about this button?
b. I said I already che.... Hmm. That’s funny. I tried that before, but nothing happened.
a. Well, it seems to be working now.
b. ...
a. Excuse me. I didn’t hear that.
b. THANK YOU!
a. You’re welcome.
Hmm, it seems like it wasn’t such a big problem after all. Now, let’s listen to another short conversation.
CONVERSATION #2
a. Hello, Stranger!
b. Oh, hey Russ.
a. What’s up?
b. Well, you remember I was trying to raise money to start a bird-watching school for kids and teens?
a. Yea. I remember that. How’s it coming along?
b. Well, it WAS coming along fine.
a. WAS? What happened? You didn’t lose the money, did you?
b. No! I’m not that careless.
a. Then what happened?
b. Well, it seems it’s a lot more difficult to raise money than I thought.
a. So, are you BACK TO SQUARE ONE again?
b. Yea, basically. I’ve gotta come up with some new ideas.
a. How about after work we get together and try to churn out some ideas?
b. Oh, we can rack our brains.
a. Alright. Sounds good. Sounds good.
b. Yea. Ok. See you then.
