Tread on your toes là gì

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To insult, offend, or upset one, especially by getting involved in something that is one's responsibility. I want to help John out on his project, but I know it's his baby, so I don't want to step on his toes in any way. Look, you're going to have to step on a few peoples' toes if you want to get ahead in this business.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

 and tread on someone's toes 

1. Lit. to step down onto someone's toes, causing pain. Please don't step on my toes as you walk by.

2. Fig. to offend or insult someone, as if causing physical pain. You're sure I won't be stepping on her toes if I talk directly to her supervisor? I didn't mean to tread on your toes.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

To insult or offend someone. The analogy between physical and emotional pain here is obvious. H. G. Bohn’s Handbook of Proverbs [1855] stated, “Never tread on a sore toe,” which no doubt would hurt still more. The precise expression appeared in Anthony Trollope’s novel The Belton Estate [1866]: “‘But you mustn’t offend my father.’—‘I won’t tread on his toes.’”

See also: on, step, to, tread

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer

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KEEP YOU ON YOUR TOES

NGHĨA ĐEN

[Ai đó, cái gì đó] giữ cơ thể bạn trên các ngón chân của bạn [keep you on your toes]

NGHĨA RỘNG

Nếu nói ai đó hoặc cái gì đó giữ bạn trên các ngón chân của bạn, điều đó có nghĩa người đó hoặc cái đó làm cho bạn tập trung toàn bộ sự chú ý và năng lượng của mình vào công việc mà bạn đang làm [someone or something that keeps you on your toes forces you to continue directing all your attention and engery to what you are doing]

TIẾNG VIỆT CÓ CÁCH NÓI TƯƠNG TỰ

Căng như dây đàn, tập trung vào công việc, không lơ là…

VÍ DỤ

The supervisors do random checks to keep all staff on their toes.

Các giám sát viên áp dụng kiểu kiểm tra đột xuất để bảo đảm tết cả nhân viên luôn tập trung làm việc.

He has kept all workers on our toes right since he took command.

Ông ấy khiến tất cả nhân viên lúc nào cũng căng như dây đàn kể từ khi ông ấy nắm quyền kiểm soát.

His lively performance has kept opposition parties on their toes for hours.

Màn biểu diễn sôi động của ông ấy khiến cho các đối thủ phải căng như dây đàn nhiều giờ. [đứng ngồi không yên hàng giờ.

You have to stay on my toes to keep from getting fired.

Anh phải rất tập trung vào công việc để tránh không bị sa thải.

You have to be on your toes if you want to get a high salary.

Cậu sẽ phải rất tập trung vào công việc nếu cậu muốn tăng lương.

HÌNH ẢNH CỦA THÀNH NGỮ

On someone’s toes nghĩa là ai đó phải đứng, không thể ngồi hay nằm. Hàm ý: giữ cảnh giác, sẵn sàng đối phó ngay khi có điều gì đó xảy ra.

Khá giống với hình ảnh trong một thành ngữ của Việt Nam: Nuôi lợn ăn cơm nằm, nuôi tằm ăn cơm đứng. Nuôi lợn thì nhàn hơn, có thể nằm ăn cơm [!], còn nuôi tằm thì lúc nào cũng phải sẵn sàng đối phó.

CÁCH DÙNG TRONG THỰC TẾ

Các động từ thường dùng với thành ngữ này:

Keep one on one’s toes

Stay on one’s toes

Be on one’s toes

Nguồn: willingo

tread on [someone's] toes Thành ngữ, tục ngữ

camel toes

the folds of the vagina revealed by tight jeans When Betty wears her old jeans you can see her camel toes.

dip one's toes into

dip one's toes into
Also, get one's toes into or wet. Begin to do something novel or unfamiliar, as in I have been dipping my toes into Asian cooking, or She's eager to go to Europe and has been getting her toes wet by getting travel information. [Late 1900s] Also see get one's feet wet.

Dip your toes in the water

If you dip your toes in the water, you try something tentatively because you are not sure whether it will work or not.

keep on one's toes

Idiom[s]: keep on one's toes

Theme: ALERTNESS

to stay alert and watchful.
• If you want to be a success at this job, you will have to keep on your toes.
• Please keep on your toes and report anything strange that you see.

Keep someone on their toes

If you keep someone on their toes, you make sure that they concentrate on what they are supposed to do.

Make your toes curl

If something makes your toes curl, it makes you feel very uncomfortable, shocked or embarrassed.

Meat and potatoes

The meat and potatoes is the most important part of something. A meat and potatoes person is someone who prefers plain things to fancy ones.

meat-and-potatoes

Idiom[s]: meat-and-potatoes

Theme: BASIC

basic, sturdy, and hearty. [Often refers to a robust person, usually a man, with simple tastes in food and other things. Fixed order.]
• Fred was your meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. No creamy sauces for him.
• There is no point in trying to cook up something special for the Wilsons. They are strictly meat-and-potatoes.

on one's toes

alert；ready to act机警；准备去做
A good ball player is always on his toes．好的球员总是很机警的。

on one's toes|on|toe|toes

adj. phr., informal Alert; ready to act. The successful ball player is always on his toes.
Compare: HEADS-UP, ON THE BALL.

on your toes

ready, alert I have to be on my toes in her class. I have to listen and think.

small potatoes

unimportant things, insignificant matters Don't worry about a few broken dishes. They're small potatoes.

step on one's toes

Idiom[s]: step on one's toes

Theme: OFFENSIVE

to interfere with or offend someone. [Note the example with anyone.]
• When you re in public office, you have to avoid stepping on anyone's toes.
• Ann stepped on someone's toes during the last campaign and lost the election.

step on one's toes|step|toe|toes|tread|tread on on

v. phr. To do something that embarrasses or offends someone else. If you break in when other people are talking, you may step on their toes. Mary is pretty, and she often treads on the toes of the girls by stealing their boyfriend.

Step on someone's toes

If you step on someone's toes, you upset them, especially if you do something that they should be in charge of.

step on their toes

offend them, upset them When I mentioned their debt, did I step on their toes?

Tread on someone's toes

If you tread on someone's toes, you upset them, especially if you do something that they should be in charge of.

turn up one's toes

Idiom[s]: turn up one's toes

Theme: DAYDREAM

to die. [Slang.]
• When I turn up my toes, I want a big funeral with lots of flowers.
• Our cat turned up his toes during the night. He was nearly ten years old.

Turn up one's toes to the daisies

If someone has turned up their toes to the daisies, it means that the person died.

turn up one's toes|toe|toes|turn up

v. phr., slang To die. One morning the children found that their pet mouse had turned up his toes, so they had a funeral for him.
Compare: PUSH UP THE DAISIES.

with bells on one's toes

Idiom[s]: with bells on [one's toes]

Theme: DRYNESS

eagerly, willingly, and on time.
• Oh, yes! I'll meet you at the restaurant. I'll be there with bells on.
• All the smiling children were there waiting for me with bells on their toes.

tread on [someone's] toes

To insult, offend, or upset someone, especially by involving oneself in that which is someone else's responsibility. I want to help Johnny out on his project, but I know he's very proud, and I don't want to tread on his toes in any way. Look, you're going to have to tread on a few peoples' toes if you want to get ahead in this business.See also: on, toe, tread

tread [or step] on someone's toes

offend someone, especially by encroaching on their privileges.See also: on, toe, tread

ˌtread on somebody’s ˈtoes

[especially British English] [American English usually ˌstep on somebody’s ˈtoes] [informal] offend or annoy somebody, especially by getting involved in something that is their responsibility: Now that we have proper job descriptions we are less likely to tread on each other’s toes.See also: on, toe, tread

step/tread on someone's toes, to

To insult or offend someone. The analogy between physical and emotional pain here is obvious. H. G. Bohn’s Handbook of Proverbs [1855] stated, “Never tread on a sore toe,” which no doubt would hurt still more. The precise expression appeared in Anthony Trollope’s novel The Belton Estate [1866]: “‘But you mustn’t offend my father.’—‘I won’t tread on his toes.’”See also: on, step, to, tread

See also:

• be put in charge [of someone or something]
• be left in charge [of someone or something]
• [one] puts [one's] pants on one leg at a time
• accompany [one] on a/[one's] journey
• accompany on a journey
• be like ships that pass in the night
• be ships that pass in the night
• a stranger to [someone or something]
• be like ships passing in the night
• be out of somebody's league