"not touch with a barge pole" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase",
        "head": "not touch (something) with a barge pole"
      },
      "expansion": "not touch (something) with a barge pole",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English negative polarity items",
          "parents": [
            "Negative polarity items",
            "Terms by semantic function"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion)."
      ],
      "id": "en-not_touch_with_a_barge_pole-en-verb-i-YeLZ8Y",
      "links": [
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ],
        [
          "refuse",
          "refuse"
        ],
        [
          "associate",
          "associate"
        ],
        [
          "aversion",
          "aversion"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, UK) To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion)."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "not be caught dead"
        },
        {
          "word": "over my dead body"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "not touch something with a ten-foot pole"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-not touch something with a barge pole.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4c/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "not touch with a barge pole"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Probably derived from the barge poles that bargemen used to fend off wharfs and other boats.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phrase",
        "head": "not touch (something) with a barge pole"
      },
      "expansion": "not touch (something) with a barge pole",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "not be caught dead"
    },
    {
      "word": "over my dead body"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English negative polarity items",
        "English phrases",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ],
        [
          "refuse",
          "refuse"
        ],
        [
          "associate",
          "associate"
        ],
        [
          "aversion",
          "aversion"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, UK) To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; (signifies a strong aversion)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-not touch something with a barge pole.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4c/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/En-au-not_touch_something_with_a_barge_pole.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "not touch something with a ten-foot pole"
    }
  ],
  "word": "not touch with a barge pole"
}