not touch with a barge pole

English

Alternative forms

• not touch something with a ten-foot pole

Etymology

Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

not touch (something) with a barge pole

1. (idiomatic, UK) To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion).

Usage notes

This expression is almost exclusively used in the negative.

Translations

not touch with a ten-foot pole — see not touch with a ten-foot pole

See also

• not be caught dead
• over my dead body