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Showing results for bargepole. Search instead for barge+pole.

bargepole

British  
/ ˈbɑːdʒˌpəʊl /

noun

  1. a long pole used to propel a barge

  2. informal to refuse to have anything to do with

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"You, and your minions, wouldn't recognize civilization even if it hit you with a bargepole."

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2021

“I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole, dear.”

From The Guardian • May 26, 2019

It’s being written about in the sort of hifalutin publications that wouldn’t have smacked Huda Boss with a bargepole, and this has helped to announce Facebook Watch as a going concern.

From The Guardian • Sep. 26, 2018

Auctioneer James Thompson said some people "wouldn't touch anything Nazi with a bargepole", but others believe the book should be preserved, despite Hitler's appalling reign.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2017

But the use of long-lens pictures is "an indefensible invasion of privacy", Elsewhere, the Sun uses an editorial to explain why the newspaper "won't touch the photos with a bargepole".

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2012