Historical clue formulations

• Like a nonstarter, for short — 2026-07-03
• ___ good turn — 2026-04-30
• Hopeless from the start, for short — 2026-02-22
• Doomed from the get-go, for short — 2025-06-05
• Not viable from the start, for short — 2024-09-01
• Doomed from the start, for short — 2024-07-09
• Like a proposal in Congress that has zero chance of passing, in brief — 2023-12-23
• Doomed from the start, for short — 2020-04-14
• Hopeless from the start, slangily — 2020-03-29
• Doomed from the start, informally — 2020-01-31
• Doomed to fail, for short — 2019-08-04
• ___ one-eighty — 2017-08-24
• ___ one-eighty — 2017-07-23
• Going nowhere, metaphorically — 2017-04-09
• ___ good deed — 2016-12-12
• ___ good deed — 2015-09-08
• ___ good job — 2015-08-28
• ___ double take — 2015-04-01
• ___ good job — 2015-03-16
• Having no chance for success, as a proposal, for short — 2015-03-05
• ___ number on — 2014-07-21
• ___ good deed — 2014-05-28
• ___ good deed — 2013-05-20
• Dennis Quaid remake of a 1950 film noir — 2013-01-20
• Tragic E.R. status — 2012-05-13
• ___ good turn — 2011-12-25
• E.R. status — 2011-08-26
• 1950 film noir — 2010-12-17
• 1950 noir film — 2010-07-18
• 1988 Dennis Quaid/Meg Ryan movie — 2009-07-21
• 1950 film that opens with a man reporting his own murder — 2009-01-17
• Regrettable E.R. status — 2008-03-14
• Beyond paramedic aid, in brief — 2008-02-27
• ___ one-eighty — 2007-07-10
• ___ good turn — 2007-07-08
• 1950 film noir classic — 2006-10-31
• Beyond medical help, for short — 2006-10-20
• E.R. status — 2006-09-07
• ___ good deed — 2006-06-20
• 1988 Meg Ryan thriller — 2006-05-20
• Hosp. designation — 2006-03-02
• ___ 180 — 2005-04-14
• ___ good deed — 2005-01-02
• 1988 Meg Ryan film — 2004-09-08
• ___ 180 — 2004-06-27
• Classic 1950 film noir — 2004-06-10
• Unhelpable in the E.R., maybe — 2004-02-27
• ___ favor — 2004-02-04
• ___ double-take — 2003-05-19
• ___ double take — 2002-08-26