the.com/start from scratch
Rebuilding from zero, as if the first attempt never left a trace.
means To begin something completely anew, abandoning all prior work or progress and starting again from the very beginning.
from From 19th-century sports, where the 'scratch' was literally a line scraped or scored into the ground marking the starting point of a race — a runner with no handicap started 'from scratch,' at the very beginning with no head start. The word 'scratch' itself goes back to blending of Middle English 'scratten' and 'cracchen,' both meaning to scrape or claw. Over time the sporting term widened into everyday use for any fresh, unaided beginning.
- origin
- from cricket scratch marks, not baking
- irony
- the phrase itself is rarely used literally
- misconception
- scratch meals still use pre-made staples
- psychology
- feels harder than editing, often isn't