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Everything perfectly? And then watched it fallapart?
Oh yes, yesterday in fact.
What happened?
I planned a picnic for 12 people. I madesandwiches and found the perfect place in the
park.
That sounds organized.
It was. Then the rain started, the park closed,and I dropped the sandwiches.
All of them?
Every single sandwich, Martin.
So you were back to square one?
Exactly. And that is our first idiom today. Backto square one.
Welcome to your English Toolbox. I am Martin.
And I am Julia.
Today you will learn three idioms for moments whenlife changes your plans. Back to square one.
A blessing in disguise.
And go with the flow.
Three expressions, one disaster, and about fiveminutes of slow English.
Let us return to your wet picnic.
Please do not call it my wet picnic.
Fair enough. Back to square one means that a planfailed and you must start again.
Right. We often use it after an attempt does notwork.
For example, the computer lost our work, so we areback to square one.
Notice the pattern, be back to square one, or goback to square one.
It does not mean failure forever. You simply beginagain.
So, Julia, did everybody go home?
No. One friend invited us to her apartment.
Uh, the disaster changed direction.
We ordered pizza, played music, and talked forhours.
Then the rain was a blessing in disguise.
Exactly. A blessing in disguise is something thatlooks bad at first,
but later produces a good result.
Losing one opportunity can be a blessing indisguise if it leads to a better one.
The key idea is contrast. Bad at first, goodlater.
We normally use it after we can see the unexpectedbenefit.
Which brings us to our third expression, go withthe flow.
To go with the flow means to accept what ishappening and adapt.
My picnic was gone. I could complain allafternoon,
03:02
or I could go with the flow and enjoy the pizza.
It is informal and useful in everydayconversation,
but it does not mean that you never makedecisions.
No, it means that being flexible is better in thismoment.
Time for a quick challenge.
We will give you three situations. Say the bestidiom aloud.
Situation 1.
Your first solution does not work, so you muststart again.
Back to square one.
Situation 2.
A cancelled interview gives you time to prepareand you later get a better job.
A blessing in disguise.
Situation 3.
The restaurant is full, so your friends chooseanother place and you agree.
Go with the flow.
Now your turn. Think of one plan that went wrong.
Did it send you back to square one?
Did it become a blessing in disguise?
Or did you simply go with the flow?
Say one sentence aloud now.
Excellent.
Today you learned back to square one.
A blessing in disguise and go with the flow.
Open this episode at yourenglishtoolbox.com forthe transcript,
translations, and practice arena lesson.
One situation, three useful expressions.
Five minutes.
See you next time!
