back to the drawing board


Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms.

drawing board

n.
A large flat board on which paper or canvas can be spread for drawing.
Idioms:
back to the drawing board
Back to the beginning or the planning stage after an approach has proved unsuccessful.
on the drawing board
In the planning stage; under consideration.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

back to the drawing board

Said when a project or undertaking has ended in failure and something new must be tried; from the idea of a designer drawing up a plan or diagram of something.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
References in periodicals archive ?
'Basically, we are back to the drawing board. We will seek Secretary [William D.] Dar's support for this project as this seeks to stabilize the country's rice supply,' he told the BusinessMirror in an interview.
'The Malaysian government must go back to the drawing board and analyse the national car idea properly.
It is now back to the drawing board for all of them ahead of qualifying for Euro 2000, the next big contest.
"We'll go back to the drawing board again and see where we went wrong."
"If it is about getting extra money for the grassroots, then I think the FA needs to go back to the drawing board and have another look at this."
"But it is all about going back to the drawing board and seeing what it is.
Whatever the goal, this ought to have been sent back to the drawing board.
Given the scale of the anger over this issue, it is to be hoped that Northumberland County Council officials have some answers to offer them - even if it does mean going back to the drawing board.
London, Apr 24( ANI ): McLaren ace driver Lewis Hamilton has demanded an investigation following the blunders during the Bahrain Grand Prix, and believes his team has to go back to the drawing board to re-ignite their championship credentials this season.
Architects go back to the drawing board with fire station plans Page 4 Hunt on to find toughest jobs in social services after troubleshooter steps down Page 18 Owner of celebritybacked cafe in Malvern wins eviction battle Page 5 The Sikh ethos approach leading the free school charge Page 23 End of the road for old-style Land Rover Defender as car giant looks to future Page 6 Pilot forced to resign through health now campaigns against 'airborne toxins' Page 26 &27 LETTERS PAGES 30-31 IRON ANGLE PAGE 32 RICHARD McCOMB PAGE 33 BUSINESS VIEW PAGE 34 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PAGES 38-39 LEGAL PAGE 40 CREATIVE PAGE 41 PERSONAL FINANCE PAGE 42 THRIVE PAGE 43 SPORT PAGES 48-56
It was back to the drawing board and, with all the right tweaks made, The 40th Day certainly goes a long way to reinstating the series as an excellent action title worthy of making its way into your collection.