Learning English Conversations
Sep 1, 2026 · 4 min · 8 segments
Some ideas are just never going to work. Those are what we call 'non-starters'. Learn how to use this expression with Feifei and Phil. As always, get your free transcript for this episode here…
We describe something as a non-starter if we think it has absolutely no chance of succeeding.
It's an expression that we can use to talk about a business idea, but it's also something that can be about any plan, project, or initiative.
For example, "I've seen your suggestion, but I'm sorry, that's a non-starter." Let's listen to some other people using the expression non-starter.
You want me to leave at six thirty in the morning for this hike? That's a non-starter.
I pitched an idea at work to make a podcast series about monkeys learning English.
My boss said it was a non-starter.
We've been learning the expression non-starter to mean a plan or idea that people think will definitely fail.
It might come from horse racing, where a horse that just stays at the start line and refuses to run is described as a non-starter.
We describe something as a non-starter if we think it has absolutely no chance of succeeding.
It's an expression that we can use to talk about a business idea, but it's also something that can be about any plan, project, or initiative.
For example, "I've seen your suggestion, but I'm sorry, that's a non-starter." Let's listen to some other people using the expression non-starter.
You want me to leave at six thirty in the morning for this hike? That's a non-starter.
I pitched an idea at work to make a podcast series about monkeys learning English.
My boss said it was a non-starter.
We've been learning the expression non-starter to mean a plan or idea that people think will definitely fail.
It might come from horse racing, where a horse that just stays at the start line and refuses to run is described as a non-starter.
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