the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray
Meaning · English
No matter how well a project is planned, accidents or misfortune can still occur.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Dù kế hoạch có tốt đến đâu cũng có thể gặp sự cố
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
But mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” mean?
No matter how well a project is planned, accidents or misfortune can still occur.
Is “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.