Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Phrase of the Day 165: 'to barge in'

"to barge in"


definition: When someone rudely interrupts a situation.

example: "Moroffs Bubba & Jethro barged into their boss's office and demanded longer working hours and lower wages."

origin: The origin goes back to the awkward steering characteristics of river barges - they often banged into other boats and objects. By the late 1800s schoolboys used barge to mean "to hustle someone". To barge in came into the language in the early 1900s.

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