Definition

Noun: 1. A long pole used to propel or guide a barge: A long, sturdy pole traditionally used by people on barges (flat-bottomed boats) to push against the riverbed or bank to move or steer the vessel.

Usage

The primary, literal meaning of "barge pole" is the tool described above. However, in modern English, this word is almost exclusively used in a common idiomatic expression.

Examples

• Literal (rare): "The boatman used a barge pole to push away from the muddy bank."
• Idiomatic (common): "That deal looks suspicious; I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole."

Advanced Usage / Idioms

• "Wouldn't touch [something/someone] with a barge pole" (British English; North American equivalent: "wouldn't touch [something/someone] with a ten-foot pole"): This is a strong, informal idiom expressing extreme aversion, disgust, or unwillingness to be involved with something or someone. It implies that the subject is so undesirable, risky, or unpleasant that you would not want to make even the most distant contact with it.
  • Example: "After the scandal, no reputable company would touch him with a barge pole."
  • Example: "That old car is so rusty, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole."

Variants and Related Words

• Ten-foot pole: The common North American variant used in the same idiom ("wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole").

Synonyms

• Punting pole (for a similar tool used on flat-bottomed punts).
• Boat hook (a pole with a hook, used for different purposes on boats).

Notes

The literal use of "barge pole" is now quite rare, as modern barges use engines. The word's primary function in contemporary language is within the fixed idiomatic phrase expressing strong rejection.

Noun

1. a long pole used to propel or guide a barge
   • I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole