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You are here: Home / Language / What does the phrase “to give a wide berth to” mean and How did it originate?

What does the phrase “to give a wide berth to” mean and How did it originate?

July 26, 2020 by Karen Hill

The word “berth” came into the language early in the seventeenth century from sources unknown.

It was a nautical term employed to mean roomway for a ship in which to operate.

The early phrase was “to give a good (or, a clear) berth to,” which meant, literally, to avoid, or to keep well away from, and we give it the same meaning today, though rarely with reference to a ship.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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