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| Starting line. |
Start is a basic word used in many different ways. It also appears in a number of idioms and phrasal verbs. For starters …
Want to start something?
start—transitive (with an object)
→ start a rumor
→ start an argument
→ start a fire
→ start a car
→ start the motor
→ start (cooking) dinner
→ start class
→ start school
→ start work
→ start a new job
What else can we start?
start—intransitive (with no object)
→ The movie starts at three.
→ When did the rain start?
→ I started toward the store.
→ Prices start at $10.
→ We started in New York.
→ What time do you start (work)?
→ The car started making a funny noise.
→ The ground started shaking.
Sports
In many sports, a team’s best players play first in a game or they play the most. They are called the:
• starting lineup
→ Helen’s in the starting lineup for tomorrow’s basketball game.
• starters
→ Frank’s usually a starter. He starts in tomorrow’s game too.
• starting (position)
→ I was the starting pitcher in the baseball game. I had never started before.
Food
There’s nothing like an appetizer (food) or an aperitif (drink) to help build your appetite for dinner.
• starters = appetizers. Common in many US restaurants.
→ Would you like to order any starters before your meal?
→ We’d like to order shrimp cocktails for starters.
Idioms
Many idioms that use start come from racing.
• false start = a failed beginning or attempt to begin. This idiom began in racing, where it refers to a runner starting before the signal. It is used widely in sports today and also for other activities.
→ After several false starts, the researchers finally made progress on a vaccine.
→ I lost the race because of a false start.
• head start = an early beginning that gives one an advantage. This idiom began in racing, where one horse would begin ahead of others to give it an advantage.
→ Kyle began studying a few weeks before school started to give himself a head start.
→ Let’s race to the store—I’ll give you a head start.
• running start = an advantage at the beginning. This idiom pictures an athlete already running when crossing the starting line, giving him or her an advantage.
→ Jenny’s background in accounting gave her a running start in the new company.
• get off to a flying start = to have a successful beginning. This phrase comes from racing, not flight.
→ Maryanne’s off to a flying start on her history report. She’s already written three pages.
→ Jim’s off to a flying start in his new job.
• start from scratch = to start at the very beginning, with nothing already done to help. This is another idiom from racing, where a runner begins at a line that is scratched into the ground. (Others may get a head start.)
→ After John’s first music store failed to make money, he decided to close it and start from scratch in a new location.
• from start to finish = from the beginning to the end. This phrase refers to racing, to the whole course of a race. Also: from A to Z, from stem to stern, and from soup to nuts.
→ The workers were professional from start to finish.
→ From start to finish, the book was boring.
• for starters = to begin with. Starters are also appetizers in a restaurant. Also: for openers. Also: to begin with, first of all, firstly, etc.
→ There are many reasons why it’s better not to eat out. For starters, you save money.
• start off on the right foot = to begin with good relations, to get along in the beginning. Also: get off on the right/wrong foot.
→ It’s important for a new manager to start off on the right foot with staff.
→ Jill and Donovan got off on the wrong foot.
• start something = to begin trouble, especially an argument or a fight. Informal/slang. Also: start anything.
→ When we see Jack, don’t discuss politics. He loves to argue and we don’t want to start something.
Phrasal Verbs
• start on = to begin to deal with something, to begin using something.
→ Have you started on your income taxes yet?
→ After finishing the popcorn, we started on the nuts.
• start off = (1) to begin a journey or trip.
→ We started off in Paris very early in the morning.
• start off = (2) to begin doing something.
→ The professor started off by introducing herself.
• start out = (1) to begin a journey or trip. Also: start off.
→ We need to start out as early as possible tomorrow morning.
• start out = (2) to begin in a certain way, sometimes a career or a life.
→ Andrea started out as our accountant before becoming our general manager.
• start over = to begin again, often because the first try was unsuccessful.
→ The teacher tried to explain, but had to start over when we didn’t understand.
→ When the store began losing money, Mark decided to start over in a new location.
• start up = (1) to begin to operate; (2) to begin a new business or company.
→ Start up the car and let it warm up inside.
→ George started up an internet company, but his startup wasn’t successful.
Note: When it’s a verb, it’s two words: start up. When the verb becomes a noun, it’s hyphenated or one word: start-up/startup.
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