the best-laid plans of mice and men

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the best-laid plans of mice and men

proverb Said when something ends poorly or differently than expected, despite preparations for success. It is an abbreviated version of the full proverb "the best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray." 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 plans of mice and men and all that. 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 plans of mice and men, I suppose."
See also: and, men, mice, of, plan
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." But (https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-to-Fail-Successfully) learning how to improvise in a structured manner will help ensure the big bumps in the road don't throw you completely off course, says consultant Adam Kahane in a recent blog posting on strategy+business.
Learn to Fail Successfully
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"--the shortened, translated version from a poem by Robert Burns in 1785 refers to the author who, as legend has it, accidentally destroyed a mouse's nest while plowing in the fields.
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So there you are: The best-laid plans of mice and men and rats.
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Fresh `scam' pledged for next year's mascot race; Mastermind admits costume mistake in foiled
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