Hi. I was listening to Olivia Rodrigo's "one step forward and three steps back" and I didn't really know what it means.

So when I googled it, I realized what it meant but all the results show about ''one step forward and two steps back" and there are even some posts that said it can be used as '' two steps forward and one step back''. I understand the meanings but my question is which one is the original and can we just say as many steps as we like according to our situation?

eg. I heard you're learning English. How's it going?
I feel like it's one step forward and five steps back. ( Can we say like that?)

Question

Hi. I was listening to Olivia Rodrigo's "one step forward and three steps back" and I didn't really know what it means.

So when I googled it, I realized what it meant but all the results show about ''one step forward and two steps back" and there are even some posts that said it can be used as '' two steps forward and one step back''. I understand the meanings but my question is which one is the original and can we just say as many steps as we like according to our situation?

eg. I heard you're learning English. How's it going?
I feel like it's one step forward and five steps back. ( Can we say like that?)

Answer

Sure! There are no rules really but normally it's either two steps forward one step back or if you want to be negative, one step forward, two steps back...

Answer

As others have said, the original expression should be "two steps forward, one step back" but many variations have since sprung up.  You can say "one step forward and five steps back" to emphasize the situation or as a hyperbole.

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Answer

The most common, and I suppose, the original, is 'one step forward and two steps back'. By adding 'three steps' back, she is emphasizing the fact that not much progress is happening. There's no set rule as to how many steps back you can say - for example, you could say 'one step forward and five steps back' and 'one step forward and ten steps back' and they basically mean the same thing - it's just a question of emphasis.

Answer

I cannot think of a positive statement and neither can my associates.

Answer

A negative statement. One step forward and two steps back.  
If you take one step forward, two steps back, you make progress but then experience events that cause you to be further behind than you were when you started out.