FrenchRetourner à la case départ
Meaning: To find oneself back where one began, as if no progress had been made.
Literally: To return to the starting square
Example: “Le permis de construire a été refusé ; on retourne à la case départ.” — The building permit was denied; it's back to square one.
English equivalent: To go back to square one
Equivalents in other languages
English: go back to square one
Origin: A case is a square on a game board, and la case départ is the starting square. Two games are usually mentioned. In the centuries-old jeu de l'oie (game of the goose), landing on the death square, number 58, sends a player all the way back to the start, which matches the phrase's sense of progress wiped out. French Monopoly, meanwhile, made case départ a household term with its "do not pass Go" instruction, ne passez pas par la case départ. No source settles which game gave the phrase.
More French idioms
- Plumer la poule sans la faire crier To extract money or advantage from someone so skillfully that they do not complain or res…
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- Tirer les oreilles To scold someone harshly or punish them.
- Tomber à l’eau To be canceled or abandoned.
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- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
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