Wouldn't touch someone with a ten-foot pole American phrase
Stay far away; avoid someone or something, or doing something
What a high-risk investment! I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.
I wouldn't touch a flashlight without a rechargeable battery with a ten-foot pole.
I wouldn't touch that gangster with a ten-foot pole.
To move quickly up and down and from side to side, typically in an attempt to avoid hitting or being hit by something
To keep a reasonable distance from someone or something; avoid someone or something
To keep from causing someone embarrassment
This phrase is often used in the case of avoiding greeting someone first when seeing him/her on the street.
This term first appeared in the mid-1700s, when it started to replace the earlier phrase "not to be handled with tongs." In the 1800s, a barge-pole was still used in place of a ten-foot pole, although this version is no longer used.