give a wide berth

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give someone or something a wide berth

Fig. to keep a reasonable distance from someone or something; to steer clear (of someone or something). (Originally referred to sailing ships.) The dog we are approaching is very mean. Better give it a wide berth. Give Mary a wide berth. She's in a very bad mood.

See also: give, wide

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Haul oil, Master Bumppo, haul off, I say, and give a wide berth to the seine. The Pioneers by Cooper, James Fenimore View in context He was now in German East Africa and it was his intention to skirt the mountains west of Kilimanjaro, whose rugged peaks he was quite willing to give a wide berth, and then swing eastward along the south side of the range to the railway that led to Tanga, for his experience among men suggested that it was toward this railroad that German troops would be likely to converge. Tarzan the Untamed by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context			give a hard time give a heads up give a leg up give a lick and a promise give a lift give a line give a little give a miss give a monkey's give a new lease of life give a once-over give a pain give a piece of mind give a red face give a ring give a rocket give a rough time give a run for money give a shit give a shot give a thick ear give a tinker's cuss give a tinkle give a try give a whirl give a wide berth give an account give an earful give an inch Give an inch and he'll take a mile Give an inch and take a mile give as good as get give as good as one gets give away give best shot give birth to give carte blanche give cause for give chapter and verse give chase give credence to Give credit where credit is due give currency give due give ear to give enough rope Give enough rope and he'll hang himself give evidence of give eye teeth for give eyeteeth for give first refusal			give a solemn declaration give a speech give a start give a strained meaning give a summary of give a taste of own medicine give a taste of their own medicine give a taste of their own medicine give a taste of their own medicine give a taste of their own medicine give a thick ear give a thick ear give a thick ear give a thick ear give a thrashing give a tinker's cuss give a tinker's damn give a tinkle give a toss give a toss give a toss give a toss give a try give a turn give a verbal account give a vote give a warrant give a whirl give a whirl give a whirl give a wide berth give a wide berth to give a wrong idea give absolution give additional information give admittance to give advice give advice against give aid give airs give airs give allegiance to give amnesty give an account give an account give an account of give an account of give an address give an answer give an appellation to give an approximate value give an earful give an encore give an estimate give an example give an explanation give an inch give an inch and he will take a mile give an inch and he will take a mile give an inch and he will take a mile

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