As a language expert with a deep understanding of idioms and their origins, I can provide a detailed explanation of the idiom "back to square one."

The idiom "back to square one" means to return to the beginning of a process or to the original point, as if you had made no progress. It is often used when a problem has re-emerged after a solution was thought to have been found, or when a situation has reverted to its initial state.

The phrase has its origins in board games, specifically in the game of snakes and ladders, which is known as "ladders and snakes" in some English-speaking countries. In this game, squares represent steps on a path, and players move their pieces along the path with the roll of a die. If a player lands on a "snake" or "ladder," they are sent back or forward, respectively, to a different square on the board. If a player is sent back to the starting square, which is typically square one, they are essentially "back to square one."

Here is the explanation with the key phrase in red:

"The idiom 'back to square one' means to return to the beginning of a process or to the original point, as if you had made no progress. It is often used when a problem has re-emerged after a solution was thought to have been found, or when a situation has reverted to its initial state."

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"Back to square one" is a phrase that means "to go back to the beginning, after a dead-end or failure". It can also refer to: Square One (puzzle), also called "Back to Square One"read more >>