# not touch with a ten-foot pole

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/not-touch-with-a-ten-foot-pole
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion.

## Examples

- I would not touch that deal with a ten-foot pole.
- I would not touch that old, broken car with a ten-foot pole.
- He does not touch office gossip with a ten-foot pole.
- The company has a terrible reputation, so I would not touch their new project with a ten-foot pole.
- After seeing how much the two neighbors argue, I would not touch their legal dispute with a ten-foot pole.
- The restaurant looks so dirty that most people in this neighborhood would not touch their food with a ten-foot pole.
- Given the scandal surrounding the firm's recent financial disclosures, any sensible investor would not touch those stocks with a ten-foot pole.

## Origin

The expression first appears in the written record in 1844, followed by a related sense in 1846. It is a measurement of physical distance used to signal social or moral aversion. The length of the pole provides the necessary interval between the speaker and the object of their distaste.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.