trouble (one) for (something)

To burden or inconvenience one to give or provide something. Excuse me, could I trouble you for some spare change? I'm a bit short for my bus fare. Don't be afraid to trouble your team for progress reports—you've got to stay on top of production, after all!

trouble someone for

Politely ask for something, as in May I trouble you for a drink of water? This idiom uses trouble in the sense of "disturb." [Mid-1800s]

See also: for, someone, trouble

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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