Penny: Hang on. I think the emergency key is around here somewhere.
等下，我記得備用鑰匙就在這附近。

Sheldon: We have a bowl. Our keys go in a bowl. You should get a bowl.
我們家有個碗，所有鑰匙都放在那個碗里面。你也該弄個碗。

Penny: So, how did the beautiful mind of Sheldon Cooper forget his key in the first place?
那么請問美麗心靈的Sheldon Cooper怎么會忘帶鑰匙呢？

Sheldon: I left them in the bowl.
落在那只碗里了。

——《生活大爆炸》

in the first place 起初，最初；首先

Why did you choose basketball in the first place?
你為何最初選擇籃球呢?

I don't want to go there in the first place.
我原本不想去的。

另一個與之相似的短語at the first place則有不同的含義：首先；放在第一位。
舉例如下：

1. We put product quality at the first place.
我們把產品質量視作企業的生命。

2. We always put the quality at the first place.
我們總是把質量放在第一位。

3. We always put reputation and quality at the first place.
信譽第一，質量至上"是我公司的宗旨。