the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley
the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley
proverb Said when something ends poorly or differently than expected, despite preparations for success. It comes from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse," which itself is a play on the proverb "the best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray." ("Gang aft a-gley" means "go oft astray" in Scottish vernacular.) I always thought our marriage was stable and that we'd be together forever. I guess it's true what they say, though—the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley. A: "I've been working on this project for six months, and now, right before it's due, they tell me they want something completely different." B: "That's rough. The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley, I suppose."
See also: aft, gang, men, mice, scheme
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
- best-laid plans go astray, the
- the best-laid plans
- the best-laid plans go astray
- the best-laid plans of mice and men
- teach a man to fish
- village
- it takes a village
- bad workers always blame their tools
- a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
- a little learning is a dangerous thing