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starter

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non-starter

1. An issue, topic, or person that makes no progress or shows little evidence of future success. I know you worked really hard on that proposal, but it's a non-starter—the committee refuses to even consider it. You want to be a doctor? Boy, that's a non-starter—you can't even handle the sight of blood! I wouldn't have too much faith in Bobby—he's a nonstarter, and this business will probably just become another in a long line of failures for him.

2. sports One who does not start the game or race. This phrase is often used in horse racing. I watched the race—what happened to our horse? Why was he a non-starter? I may be a non-starter now, but my goal is to supplant the first-string quarterback in time.

for openers

 and for starters

to start with. For openers, they played a song everyone knows. For starters, I'll serve a delicious soup.

See also: opener

for openers

as a beginning for starters For openers, we have a staff of 10 just to handle the billing.

Related vocabulary: to begin with

See also: opener

for starters

as a beginning for openers If they want to be involved, for starters, they might join Saturday's antiwar protest downtown.

Usage notes: often used in the form that's just for starters: You've got to put down a deposit of $500, and that's just for starters!

Related vocabulary: to begin with

See also: starter

for openers

Also, for starters. To begin with. For example, Out of 50 possible jurors they eliminated 30, for openers, or She believed him, which indicated, for starters, that she was very gullible. The word starters is also used for the appetizer or first course of a meal, as in For starters we had shrimp cocktail. [Mid-1900s]

See also: opener

starters

see under for openers.

See also: starter

for openers

Informal

To begin with: "Out of 54 potential jurors, they knocked 20 off ... just for openers" (Joseph DiMona).

See also: opener

for starters

Informal

To begin with; initially: "Deborah believes him, indicating, for starters, that she isn't the brightest" (Judith Crist).

See also: starter