Step on your toes?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nice">nice</span> <span word="boy">boy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="toes">toes</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p>“<span word="Step">Step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="toes">toes</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span> <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="apparently">apparently</span>, <span word="other">other</span> <span word="people">people</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="toes">toes</span> – <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="deaf">deaf</span> <span word="ears">ears</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="neither">neither</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="nor">nor</span> <span word="there">there</span>.</p><p><span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="fall">fall</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="toes">toes</span> <span word="inadvertently">inadvertently</span> – <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="walk">walk</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="queuing">queuing</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="movie">movie</span> <span word="ticket">ticket</span>, <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="cases">cases</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="ouch">ouch</span>” <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="excruciatingly">excruciatingly</span> <span word="painful">painful</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="Things">Things</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="hurt">hurt</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="physically">physically</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="hurt">hurt</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="emotionally">emotionally</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="painfully">painfully</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="at">at</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="paraphrase">paraphrase</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="example">example</span>: <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="nice">nice</span> <span word="boy">boy</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="careful">careful</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span> – <span word="his">his</span> (<span word="poor">poor</span>) <span word="choice">choice</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="upset">upset</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Stepping">Stepping</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="toes">toes</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="analyze">analyze</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="toes">toes</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ground">ground</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="standing">standing</span>. <span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="invading">invading</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="land">land</span>, <span word="encroaching">encroaching</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="territories">territories</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="intruding">intruding</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="privacy">privacy</span>, <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="responsibilities">responsibilities</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="sphere">sphere</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="general">general</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="behavior">behavior</span> <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="conflict">conflict</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="stand">stand</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="ground">ground</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="bring">bring</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="pain">pain</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="toes">toes</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="queuing">queuing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ticket">ticket</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cinema">cinema</span>.</p>
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