Avoid, as in After Jane told on them, they gave her a wide berth. This expression alludes to giving a vessel enough room to swing at anchor so as to avoid a collision. [Mid-1800s]
give a wide berth
| Idioms: give a wide berth |
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 | berth |
| wide (Idiom) |
| Breakdown: Emergency! (TV Episode) (1977 TV Episode) |
 | What do big trees with wide spreading branches give us? Read answer... |
| Do winds on mars give rise to planet wide dust storms? Read answer... |
| Where was Dowland's berth? Read answer... |
Help us answer these
 | Did marco polo's mom die giving berth to hi n? |
| What about a red slim coming from mother dog one week after giving berth? |
| What can the harpsichord not give a wide range of? |
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Copyrights:
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 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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