English Idiom of the Day – Start from Scratch
Monday, January 24, 2011 @ 09:01 AM
To start from scratch means to start at the very beginning, when a first attempt has failed.
Example: I ruined the cake I just baked. Now I have to start from scratch.
Did you know...? The word 'scratch' has been used since the 18th century as a sporting term for a boundary or starting point which was scratched on the ground, for example the line drawn on the ground as a starting point for a race. Therefore, 'scratch' has been associated with starting from the beginning.