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The phrase “the best laid plans of mice and men” essentially means that no matter how well prepared one may feel, their plans may still fall apart due to circumstances outside of their control. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft a-gley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy. Still thou are blest, compared wi' me !
John Steinbeck took the title of his 1937 novel Of Mice and Men from a line contained in the penultimate stanza. The 1997 novel The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon also draws its title from this line, and so do the novel of the same name by Canadian author Terry Fallis and the film series based on it.
The best-laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy! Still thou are blest, compared wi’ me! The present only toucheth thee: But Och! I backward cast my e’e, On prospects drear! An’ forward, tho’ I cannot see, I guess an’ fear!
The title is taken from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse": "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley" ("The best laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry").
Example #1. To a Mouse by Robert Burns. “ But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men. Go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain; The best-laid schemes o’ mice an ‘men. Gang aft agley,
Mar 8, 2020 · by 7ESL. 708. SHARES. Last Updated on March 8, 2020. The idiom the best laid plans of mice and men might often be heard during an English conversation, but what does this saying mean? We are going to find out the meaning of this phrase as well as looking at where it first came from.
