When Plans Go Wrong: 3 Idioms in 5 Minutes

ENHave you ever planned everything perfectly... and then watched it fall apart?

ENOh yes.

ENYesterday, in fact.

ENWhat happened?

ENI planned a picnic for twelve people.

ENI made sandwiches and found the perfect place in the park.

ENThat sounds organised.

ENIt was.

ENThen the rain started, the park closed, and I dropped the sandwiches.

ENAll of them?

ENEvery single sandwich, Martin.

ENSo you were back to square one.

ENExactly.

ENAnd that is our first idiom today: back to square one.

ENWelcome to Your English Toolbox.

ENI am Martin.

ENAnd I am Julia.

ENToday, you will learn three idioms for moments when life changes your plans.

ENBack to square one.

ENA blessing in disguise.

ENAnd go with the flow.

ENThree expressions, one disaster, and about five minutes of Slow English.

ENLet us return to your wet picnic.

ENPlease do not call it my wet picnic.

ENFair enough.

ENBack to square one means that a plan failed and you must start again.

ENRight.

ENWe often use it after an attempt does not work.

ENFor example: the computer lost our work, so we are back to square one.

ENNotice the pattern: be back to square one, or go back to square one.

ENIt does not mean failure forever.

ENYou simply begin again.

ENSo, Julia, did everybody go home?

ENNo. One friend invited us to her apartment.

ENAh.

ENThe disaster changed direction.

ENWe ordered pizza, played music, and talked for hours.

ENThen the rain was a blessing in disguise.

ENExactly.

ENA blessing in disguise is something that looks bad at first but later produces a good result.

ENLosing one opportunity can be a blessing in disguise if it leads to a better one.

ENThe key idea is contrast: bad at first, good later.

ENWe normally use it after we can see the unexpected benefit.

ENWhich brings us to our third expression: go with the flow.

ENTo go with the flow means to accept what is happening and adapt.

ENMy picnic was gone.

ENI could complain all afternoon, or I could go with the flow and enjoy the pizza.

ENIt is informal and useful in everyday conversation.

ENBut it does not mean that you never make decisions.

ENNo. It means that being flexible is better in this moment.

ENTime for a quick challenge.

ENWe will give you three situations.

ENSay the best idiom aloud.

ENSituation one.

ENYour first solution does not work, so you must start again.

ENBack to square one.

ENSituation two.

ENA cancelled interview gives you time to prepare, and you later get a better job.

ENA blessing in disguise.

ENSituation three.

ENThe restaurant is full, so your friends choose another place and you agree.

ENGo with the flow.

ENNow your turn.

ENThink of one plan that went wrong.

ENDid it send you back to square one?

ENDid it become a blessing in disguise?

ENOr did you simply go with the flow?

ENSay one sentence aloud now.

ENExcellent.

ENToday you learned back to square one, a blessing in disguise, and go with the flow.

ENOpen this episode at Your English Toolbox dot com for the transcript, translations, and Practice Arena lesson.

ENOne situation.

ENThree useful expressions.

ENFive minutes.

ENSee you next time.