2023-10-30 Tread on someone’s toes – The English We Speak

Introduction

Have you ever done something that wasn’t your responsibility? Oh dear! It sounds like you need this phrase. 

Transcript

Beth
Welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Beth.

Jiaying
And I’m Jiaying.

Beth
We have an expression about upsetting or annoying someone by involving yourself in something that is not your responsibility – the expression is ‘tread on someone’s toes’.

Jiaying
‘Tread on someone’s toes’. When you’re dancing, it’s not right to tread on someone else’s toes – it’s not what you’re supposed to do. Although, we’re not actually talking about really treading on someone’s toes here. Can you give us some context here, Beth?

Beth
Well, remember when I was upset last week…it was because you lead the meeting that I was supposed to lead.

Jiaying
Oh no! I’m sorry. I guess I did tread on your toes. It wasn’t my job to lead the meeting, but I did it anyway.

Beth
Don’t worry, it’s OK. I trod on your toes last summer.

Jiaying
True. It was my job to organise the BBC Learning English barbecue. You knew that but you organised it anyway without talking to me. You shouldn’t have trodden on my toes.

Beth
I’m really sorry about that! Now, that was not a very serious problem, but treading on someone’s toes can be a serious thing. It could ruin your chances at work, for instance. Let’s hear some more examples.

Examples

I can’t believe he pitched your business idea. He doesn’t care about treading on toes.

My mum is upset that you made my birthday cake. She does it every year, so she thinks you’re treading on her toes.

I want to start working on the budget, but I don’t want to tread on the accountant’s toes.

Jiaying
You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English, and we are learning the expression ‘tread on someone’s toes’, which is a way of saying someone has involved themselves in something that is not their responsibility, which is annoying or upsetting. A similar expression is ‘step on someone’s toes’.

Beth
And both are frequently used in relation to work and business because of the connection to responsibility and tasks.

Jiaying
Note that the past of ‘step’ is regular, ‘stepped’, but the past of ‘tread’ is irregular, ‘trod’.

Beth
So, last week, you trod on my toes.

Jiaying
Yes, and I’ve already apologised! Time to go. Bye!

Beth
Bye!