Back to basics

Meaning

The idiom "back to basics" means going back to the original or basic principles of something, usually in order to understand it more fully or solve a problem. It can also mean starting over or beginning again from the beginning.

Usage

• The team decided to go back to basics and focus on their fundamentals after losing several games.
• After a series of failed attempts to fix the computer, I went back to basics and rebooted it.
• We need to go back to basics and explain these complex ideas in simpler terms.
• The new CEO ordered everyone to go back to basics and focus on customer service.
• The chef decided to go back to basics and start with the most basic ingredients for his new dish.

Roots and History

The idiom "back to basics" is thought to have originated in the field of education, where teachers would encourage their students to return to the fundamentals of a subject after they had become lost or confused. Over time, the idiom has expanded to be used in a variety of contexts, as people go back to basic principles in order to solve problems or understand something more fully.

Synonyms in English

• Going back to square one
• Starting over from scratch
• Returning to fundamentals
• Going back to the drawing board
• Going back to ground zero

Synonyms in other languages

• En français : Retourner aux bases (Go back to basics)
• In español : Volver a los principios (Go back to basic principles)
• In italiano : Ritornare alle radici (Return to the roots)
• In German : Zurück auf die Basis (Go back to basics)
• In Russian : Вернуться к основе (Return to basic principles)

Similar Idioms

• spick and span

• pros and cons

• in lieu of