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The idiom the best laid plans of mice and men might often be heard during an English conversation, but what does this saying mean? We are going to find out the meaning of this phrase as well as looking at where it first came from. We are also going to be looking at some examples of day to day conversations in which the term might appear.
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Meaning
The meaning of the term the best laid plans of mice and men is that no matter how carefully something is planned out, it might always fail or go wrong.
Origin of the idiomatic phrase
The term the best laid plans of mice and men finds its origins from the poem ‘To a Mouse’ which was written by Robert Burns in the late 1700s.
“The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men” Examples
Examples in Statements
There may be many times in which you might see the term the best laid plans of mice and men in a sentence and we are now going to take a look at some examples of this.
The first is a statement being made by a building manager.
- We did plan to have the building finished by August but the best laid plans of mice and men don’t always come through. It will now be done in October.
The second statement is being made by a father to his son.
- Your girlfriend might have said no to your elaborate proposal but don’t be too disheartened, the best laid plans of mice and men do not always succeed.
Conversation Examples
There are a lot of times which you are likely to hear the term the best laid plans of mice and men during day to day conversation. We are now going to look at some examples of times in which it might feature.
The first is a conversation between some staff members at a company.
- Person 1; “It is such a shame that the event did not go ahead as planned.”
- Person 2; “Yes but we will fix the damage.”
- Person 1; “I am sure that the guests will understand that the best laid plans of mice and men do not always go to plan.”
The next conversation is taking place between two friends.
- Person 1; “I can’t believe that I didn’t get the job, I spent so much time planning every answer to the interview questions.”
- Person 2; “It is hard to believe isn’t it,”
- Person 1; “I guess even the best laid plans of mice and men are not guaranteed to work out.”
Other Ways to Say the Idiom
There are other ways in which you can express the meaning of the term the best laid plans of mice and men. We are now going to take a look at some other things you might say in its place.
- It doesn’t always go to plan
- Things do not always work out as planned
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men | Picture
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