tillbaka till ruta ett

Swedish

Etymology

Compound of tillbaka (“back”) +‎ till (“to”) +‎ ruta (“square”) +‎ ett (“one”). Unknown origin.

• Possibly originated as a board game term, where, in various games such as Snakes and Ladders, the player piece might return to the first square. "Back to square one" would then mean that the player had lost all advancement.
• Possibly originally a soccer term, where radio commentators (due to the lack of visuals) divided the field into eight imagined squares, with the first and second squares being the home side’s short end. "Back to square one" would then mean that the home team had lost all advancement.

First attested in the 1940s.

Adjective

tillbaka till ruta ett (not comparable)

1. back to square one
   • 2024 November 16, Linnea Järkstig, “”Tror vårt hus är förstört när vi kommer tillbaka” ["I think our house will be destroyed when we get back."]”, in Omni:

     En lokal räddningschef i den nordliga regionen Samar säger:
     – Varje gång en sådan här tyfon kommer så för den oss tillbaka till medeltiden, vi tvingas tillbaka till ruta ett.

     A local rescue chief in the northern region of Samar says:
     – Every time a typhoon like this comes, it takes us back to the Middle Ages; we are forced back to square one.