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UKback to the drawing board
/bˈak tə ðə dɹˈɔːɪŋ bˈɔːd/
/bˈæk tə ðə dɹˈɔːɪŋ bˈoːɹd/back to the drawing board
[PHRASE]1
used when one has to return to the beginning of a process and redo the process after one's effort has failed
What is the origin of the idiom "back to the drawing board" and when to use it?
The origin of the idiom "back to the drawing board" goes back to the 1940s when engineers and designers used drawing boards to create technical drawings for new products. If a design didn't work or was rejected, the engineers would have to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new design. Today, the idiom is commonly used in a variety of contexts, including business, science, and creative endeavors. It implies that the first attempt was unsuccessful, and a new approach or strategy is needed to achieve success.
Examples
1. If either of those initiatives fail, then the burger chain will have to go back to the drawing board.
2. So we scratched those plans and went back to the drawing board and said, "how do we do something that will inspire and be exciting?"
3. The prototype of the product did not work as planned, so we have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new design.
4. The company's attempt to enter a new market was unsuccessful, so they have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan to achieve their goals.
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