The idiom "give someone or something a wide berth" originates from nautical terminology. In the context of sailing, "berth" refers to a safe distance or space between a ship and an obstacle, such as another vessel, a rocky shoreline, or a dangerous area. Over time, the expression has been adapted into everyday language to describe the act of avoiding someone or something, often due to apprehension, to prevent any problems, conflicts, or unwanted interactions.

What is the origin of the idiom "give someone or something a wide berth" and when to use it?

5f14300dc3ef46812c526ad0551dff1c914c5dd7072e459e405aa1efaede6931

to [give] {sb/sth} a wide berth

https://tts.langeek.co/read?text=dG8gZ2l2ZSBzb21lYm9keSBvciBzb21ldGhpbmcgYSB3aWRlIGJlcnRo&hash=c9f17ceba2a08bac8bfd146db7d38e6bb3c03ba7&lang=en&cache-only=0&driver=googletts&accent=US

https://tts.langeek.co/read?text=dG8gZ2l2ZSBzb21lYm9keSBvciBzb21ldGhpbmcgYSB3aWRlIGJlcnRo&hash=be4b592aff7eec11bbee88a2a4db982dc5c41a67&lang=en&cache-only=0&driver=googletts&accent=GB

Definition und Bedeutung von „ give somebody or something a wide berth“ im Englischen

Download Mobile App