“Clean table” is an English idiom meaning a fresh start without negativity. Other idioms with “clean” emphasize the absence of negativity. The phrase is used to explain starting over and forgetting the past, especially in relationships and when leaving behind a bad past. The film Clean Slate is about a private detective with amnesia.
A “clean table” is a common phrase used in the English language to mean a fresh start without anything negative being considered. The saying is known as an English idiom, which means that English speakers are well aware that this combination of words means something other than the literal dictionary definition. People unfamiliar with the English language may find idiomatic expressions confusing; to someone unfamiliar with the saying, a clean slate might mean little more than cleaning a slate for writing.
Oddly enough, the meaning of many idioms can be at least slightly related to the literal definition of the words. Several other idioms include the word “clean” to emphasize the absence of negativity. For example, a “clean break” means that a person has no ailments, while a “clean break” means that a person wins absolutely everything possible. The phrase “clean table” paints a picture of someone wiping a chalk or marker, making it empty to write something new. For the English language, this imagery has extended to all aspects of life and is used to explain starting over and forgetting the past.
The American film Clean Slate, released in 1994, is about a private detective who suffers from amnesia and then has to go to court for a murder. Although it is a comedy, the plot focuses on the fact that the main character wakes up every morning with a blank mind. The irony is that the blank slate actually works against him as he needs to remember what happened in the murder case. More often than not, a clean slate is like a breath of fresh air for the person this saying refers to.
This particular saying is used a lot in relationships. In real life and on the television screen, broken relationships between friends, lovers, or colleagues often reconcile with someone in the relationship by offering to give the other a clean slate. Another situation where people use this phrase is when describing someone who has had a bad past and wants to change her ways to create a better future. Situations to which this applies include leaving behind bankruptcy, addiction, or even a criminal record. In this case, having a clean slate is important because whatever happened in the past had the potential to negatively affect the outcome of the future if not wiped away.
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