П-145

ТАНЦЕВАТЬ ОТ ПЁЧКИ coll VP subj: human to begin at the beginning, from the simplest point, and follow the usual routine

X танцует от печки - X starts (takes it) from step one (square one)

(in limited contexts) X starts over (goes through it again) from the beginning X takes it from the top (starts over) again X starts all over X goes back to the drawing board (to square one) it's back to the old drawing board!

Аудитория была совсем не подготовлена, и лектору пришлось танцевать от печки и объяснять самые элементарные вещи. The audience didn't have a clue about the subject of the talk, and the speaker had to take it from square one, spelling out the basics