give a wide berth
Slang Term
BritishAmericanAustralian
Unknown
Neutral
Meaning: stay far away from
敬而远之
mantenerse bien lejos de
大きく避ける、近寄らない
멀리 피하다
Avoid something or someone carefully. From nautical terminology for keeping distance from obstacles.
小心地回避某事或某人。源自航海术语,指与障碍物保持距离。
Evitar algo o a alguien con cuidado. Proviene de la terminología náutica para mantener distancia con los obstáculos.
何かや誰かを注意深く避けること。障害物から距離を保つ航海用語に由来。
무언가나 누군가를 조심스럽게 피하다. 장애물과 거리를 유지하라는 항해 용어에서 유래.
Examples
- Give that junction a wide berth - very dangerous. 那个路口要绕着走——非常危险。Aléjate de ese cruce: es muy peligroso.あの交差点は大きく避けて——すごく危険だ。저 교차로는 멀리 피해—아주 위험해.
- I'd give that restaurant a wide berth - food poisoning. 那家餐厅最好别去——会食物中毒。Yo me alejaría de ese restaurante: intoxicación alimentaria.あのレストランは避けたほうがいい——食中毒になるよ。저 식당은 피하는 게 좋을 거야—식중독 걸려.
- Give aggressive drivers a wide berth. 离开车凶的人远一点。Mantente lejos de los conductores agresivos.乱暴な運転手には近づかないようにして。난폭한 운전자들은 멀리 피해.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: warning, advice
Tone: cautionary
✓ Do Say
- Advise avoidance建议别人回避时使用para aconsejar que se evite algo避けるよう忠告するとき회피를 조언할 때
✗ Don't Say
- For things to approach不用于应该接近的事物No se usa para cosas a las que hay que acercarse近づくべきものには使わない가까이 가야 할 것들에 대해
Origin & History
Nautical term. A 'berth' is the space a ship needs. Giving a wide berth means leaving plenty of room to avoid collision.
Cultural Context
Era: timeless
Generation: all ages
Social background: all
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