wide berth
Speech parts
1. wide berth - Noun
2. wide berth - Phrase
Meaning
(nautical) Adequate distance from sea vessels or other objects to ensure safety and maneuverability.
Steer to port and give the rocks a wide berth.
(idiomatic, by extension) A considerable or comfortable distance from a person or object, especially for safety or deliberate avoidance.
Our cat always gives the vacuum cleaner a wide berth.
He's so obnoxious that everyone gives him a wide berth.
Synonyms
Examples
It is recommended to give all bears a wide berth; because, they are behaviorally unpredictable.
“For most of history, the Senate has given presidents, especially first-term presidents, wide berth.
I'd give it a wide berth.
The cabbage is usually given a wide berth, and the boiler chicken considered a little dull, but everybody loves the broth, infused with all the flavour that can possibly go into soup, and of course the garbanzos are always a hit.
The metaphor fits: This is cerebral, modern jazz that still has a convincing pulse, and a wide berth for fetching improvisations.
The author also claims that the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, even today remote, should be given a wide berth by Arab travellers since the natives will “eat anyone who passes them”.