barge-pole

A boatman uses a barge-pole to push his flat-bottomed boat away from the riverbank.

Definition

Noun: - A long pole used to propel or steer a barge: A "barge-pole" is a long, sturdy pole traditionally used by a bargeman to push a barge along a canal or river by planting it on the bottom or against the bank.

Usage Examples

• (A long pole for moving a barge.)
• (A tool for steering or propelling a barge.)

Advanced Usage

• "not to be touched with a barge-pole": A figurative expression meaning something or someone is so unpleasant, dirty, or undesirable that one would avoid any contact with them.
  • That old warehouse is so filthy; I wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole. (I would avoid it completely.)
  • After his rude behavior, she wouldn't touch him with a barge-pole. (She wants nothing to do with him.)

Variants and Related Words

• Barge (n): a flat-bottomed boat used for carrying freight on canals and rivers.
  • The barge carried coal along the canal. (A cargo boat.)
• Pole (n): a long, slender piece of wood or metal.
  • He used a pole to reach the high branch. (A long stick.)

Synonyms

• Punt pole: a pole used to propel a punt (a flat-bottomed boat).
• Quant pole: another term for a pole used to push a barge, especially in British English.

Related Idioms

• Not touch (something) with a barge-pole: To avoid something completely due to its unpleasantness or risk.

  • I wouldn't touch that investment with a barge-pole. (I would avoid it entirely because it is risky.)

• Couldn't touch (someone) with a barge-pole: To find someone so repulsive or objectionable that one wants no association.

  • After the scandal, no one would touch him with a barge-pole. (He was completely shunned.)