A nonstarter is an idea, a plan, or sometimes a person that has no real chance from the start. People say it when something is already dead before it begins: there is no money, the rules will not allow it, or nobody will agree. It comes from horse racing: a non-starter is a horse that never leaves the gate. In everyday talk, especially in British English, it is almost always about plans and suggestions, not horses. “That’s a nonstarter” is a firm no. It is polite enough for a meeting, but it closes the door. Calling a person a nonstarter can sound cold, as if you have already decided they cannot succeed.