cant-fail plan

[/kænt feɪl plæn/]
nounpl: cant-fail plans
plano infalível
1. a strategy or scheme that is believed to be certain to succeed with no possibility of failure
We thought we had a cant-fail plan to increase sales, but the market conditions changed unexpectedly.
Acreditávamos que tínhamos um plano infalível para aumentar as vendas, mas as condições do mercado mudaram inesperadamente.
2. an overconfident or presumptuous plan that assumes guaranteed success
His cant-fail plan turned out to be poorly researched and ultimately failed.
Seu plano infalível acabou sendo mal pesquisado e finalmente fracassou.
This phrase is often used ironically or with skepticism in both American and Brazilian English, as plans rarely guarantee absolute success. It reflects a common cultural attitude toward overly confident planning and serves as a warning against hubris in business and personal ventures.
NYC Slang
fuggedaboutit plan (used ironically when a plan seems overly optimistic)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
foolproof plansure-fire planguaranteed plansurefire schemecan't-miss strategy
Antonyms / Antônimos
risky planuncertain planhalf-baked plandoomed planlong shot

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
plano infalível
Most common translation; widely understood
General Brazilian
plano à prova de falhas
More literal translation emphasizing failure-proof aspect
São Paulo
plano garantido
Common in business contexts
Portugal
plano infalível
Same as Brazilian Portuguese; widely used

Related Words

strategyschemeblueprintcontingency planoverconfidencehubris

Related Idioms & Phrases

a plan that can't go wrong
a dead cert
a sure thing
money in the bank
in the bag
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