1.
fresh start, do-over, starting over
Scrapping a current attempt and starting again from the beginning. Originally a sumo term for when both wrestlers return to their starting positions to begin a bout again.
仕切り直しが必要だ。
We need a fresh start.
計画がうまくいかなかったので、仕切り直しすることにした。
The plan didn't work out, so we decided to start over.
交渉が行き詰まったが、来週仕切り直して再スタートする予定だ。
The negotiations hit a dead end, but we plan to start fresh again next week.
ORIGIN: Originally a sumo term. When wrestlers fail to charge at each other properly at the start of a bout, the referee calls for a 仕切り直し — both wrestlers return to the starting lines and begin again.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 仕切り直しする: to start over, to redo
- 仕切り直しを図る: to aim for a fresh start
USAGE: Widely used beyond sumo in everyday conversation, business, and politics to describe restarting something that has stalled or failed. It implies a complete reset rather than a minor adjustment.