Jun 7, 2018 · The British equivalent, though arising later than the American ten-foot pole, is “not touching s.o. or s.th. with a barge pole”: The British get dog sick, leave footmarks and they wouldn’t touch some things with a barge pole. Americans get sick as a dog, leave footprints and wouldn’t touch some things with a ten-foot pole.

Apr 13, 2015 · 1) "I wouldn't touch Z with a 10-foot pole", meaning the speaker wouldn't want to be involved with Z in any way. 2) "S couldn't find his way out of a paper bag," meaning S has a bad sense of direction. Is there an idiomatic hyperbole of …

Aug 26, 2017 · Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats. not touch (something) with a barge pole (idiomatic, Britain) 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.

Dec 5, 2016 · an expression similar to not touching a person of the opposite sex 'with a 10ft barge pole' a metaphorical stick describing the action of fighting off the advances of another person that is not phsyically attractive.

I'm thinking more of phrases that do not include traditional measurements and that refer also to an activity, so the barge pole version is nice. – Callithumpian Commented Mar 20, 2011 at 14:55

Oct 22, 2023 · I received a copy from a client with the following phrase: "Our current team boasts of a combined 90 man years worth of experience in the field of XYZ".

Dec 20, 2016 · The wording of the Wiktionary etymology is bizarre. A Phrase finder thread quotes "Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985) as saying the "ten foot pole" phrase dates from 1758. Another article cites usage in 1843. Public supply of electricity appears to date from around 1880. –

Jul 29, 2015 · Barge Haulers. river workers who towed boats by means of ropes along the river bank or on the water by means of oars. The first barge haulers appeared in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Barge hauling expanded as a consequence of increased river transport at a time when the technical development of transportation by water was very ...

Nov 24, 2014 · I could imagine someone saying "barge on in" in the situation you describe. It's not a common idiom, but it would be understood. For some reason, "barge in" by itself doesn't sound as apt. EDIT: I'm taking it as a given that a playfully rude phrase is desired. You wouldn't use this unless you actually wanted to be (humorously) rude.

May 20, 2016 · @LeeDanielCrocker The answer is correct. While, in the context of religious beliefs, the word means what you say, "x-agnostic" is a perfectly idiomatic way to say "doesn't care about x" or "isn't affected by x."