Skip to main content

Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole 

Wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole is an expression indicating extreme dislike and distaste for an object, person or situation. The expression can be used in a similar way to wouldn’t touch her with a 10 foot pole, but is not solely applicable to females; it is even more disparaging when used about a female as it treats her as something less than human. Many bargepoles were 12 or 13 feet long, but one specialised type called a setting boom could be as long as 28 feet! So as you can imagine, wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole means something which you would much rather keep well away from.
“Mate, you want to avoid that one; I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole!”

I wouldn't touch that with a 20-foot pole 

A phrase used to say that you strongly wish to stay out of the way of an argument/heavy situation and not have any involvement.
Employee: I caught Debra and Jeff having sex in the office, what the hell are they thinking?

Boss: Err, I wouldn't touch that with a 20-foot pole.

Wouldn't touch her with a 10 foot pole 

A female that is repulsively skanky/ugly.
Not only would you never sleep with her, being 10 feet away is still too close.
"I wouldn't touch that slut with a 10 foot pole, unless I was smashing her over the head with it."