Wouldn't touch someone with a ten-foot pole In english explanation

The meaning, explanation, definition and origin of the idiom/phrase "wouldn't touch someone with a ten-foot pole", English Idiom Dictionary ( also found in Vietnamese )

author Zesty Y calendar 2021-05-07 03:05

Meaning of Wouldn't touch someone with a ten-foot pole

Synonyms:

wouldn't touch sth with a barge pole

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.

Other phrases about:

bob and weave

To move quickly up and down and from side to side, typically in an attempt to avoid hitting or being hit by something

give (someone or something) a wide berth

To keep a reasonable distance from someone or something; avoid someone or something

take evasive action
Do something aimed at evading an opponent
spare (someone's) blushes

To keep from causing someone embarrassment

not if I see you first

This phrase is often used in the case of avoiding greeting someone first when seeing him/her on the street.

Origin of Wouldn't touch someone with a ten-foot pole

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.

The Origin Cited: The free dictionary .
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TODAY
to rob the cradle
have a romantic or sexual relationship with or marry someone much younger than oneself.
Example: The middle aged man robbed the cradle with the teenager.
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