startBrE /stɑːt/ NAmE /stɑːrt/► SEE ALLdon’t startfor a startto start withstart something/anythingget/keep/set/start the ball rolling(make) a false startget off to a flying startget off to a flyerget/start off on the right/wrong foot (with sb)a head start (on/over sb)be/go back to square one ●ˌdon’t ˈstart ( ˌdon’t ˈyou start) (spoken, informal) used to tell sb not to complain or be critical别抱怨；别挑剔◆Don’t start! I told you I’d be late. 别抱怨啦！我跟你说过我会晚来一会儿。●for a ˈstart●to ˈstart with ( for ˈstartersinformal) used for giving the first of several things or reasons（用于提出一系列事情或理由中的第一条）首先，第一◆You’re not going to marry him. For a start, you’re too young. For another thing, you hardly know him. 你不能嫁给他。一来，你还太小；二来，你又不了解他。◆She wasn’t keen on the idea to start with. 她对这个主意根本就不热心。●ˈstart something/anything (informal) begin a fight or an argument惹事；制造争斗；闯祸◆Don’t try to start anything with him, he has a knife. 别招惹他，他带着刀子呢。◆Are you trying to start something? 你是想寻衅闹事吗？●get/keep/set/start the ˈball rollingbegin/continue an activity, discussion, etc.开始／继续某活动（或讨论等）◆I will start the ball rolling by introducing the first speaker.我来介绍一下第一位讲演者作为开始。●(make) a false ˈstartan attempt to begin sth that is not successful起步失误；失败的开端◆After a few false starts, I finally managed to work the fax machine.我开始时弄错了几次，后来终于能够用那部传真机了。◆He made a few false starts early on in his acting career, but then found success with the Royal Shakespeare Company.他的演艺生涯开始时颇为不顺，但后来他加入皇家莎士比亚剧团，取得了成功。NOTE In sport, a false start is a situation when a competitor in a race starts before the official signal has been given. * false start 指赛跑中抢跑犯规。●get off to a ˌflying ˈstart●get off to a ˈflyermake a very good, successful start取得良好的开端◆She got off to a flying start, gaining several points in the first few minutes.她开局不错，在开始几分钟里频频得分。●get/start off on the right/wrong ˈfoot (with sb) (informal) start a relationship well/badly一开始就相处得好／不好◆I seem to have got off on the wrong foot with the new boss.似乎我和新老板的关系一开始就不好。●a ˌhead ˈstart (on/over sb)an advantage that sb already has before they start doing sth先起步的优势；有利的开端◆Being able to speak French gave her a head start over the other candidates.她会说法语，比其他候选人有优势。●be/go back to square ˈone ( start again from square ˈone) (informal) start sth again from the beginning because your first idea, plan, action, etc. has failed or has been stopped（因最初的主意、计划、行动等失败而）回到起点，从头再来◆The experiment didn’t work, so it’s back to square one, I’m afraid.实验失败了，所以恐怕得从头再来。ORIGINThis may refer to going back to the beginning or first square of a board game such as ‘snakes and ladders’.这个习语可能指回到“蛇梯棋”等棋类游戏中的第一方格。