don't go there
1
9.5
- idiom
- Informal
:
no vayas allí
- When discussing sensitive topics, it's best to say, "Please don't go there during the meeting."
- just don't go there
Examples
-
If you want to avoid an argument, I'd suggest you don't go there with her.
-
Trust me, you don't go there if you value your friendship.
-
Whenever someone brings up his ex-girlfriend, he immediately says, "Don't go there."
-
Please don't go there now!
-
Seriously, don't go there with that topic!
-
She looked at him and said, "I know you want to talk about the breakup, but don't go there right now."
-
Her friend warned her, "Don't go there, it's a touchy subject for him."
Synonyms
384
2.3
Avoid going near people or places for safety
35
5.8
Tell someone not to ask about or get involved in other people's lives
10
8.6
Warn someone not to mention a topic because they talk a lot and get upset
5
8.2
Keep quiet about a secret
A private matter that does not concern you
To not ask about or get involved in someone's private matters
Antonyms
How Sensitive
- Informal
1
9.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents ('don't' = prohibition, 'go' = move, 'there' = that place) transparently signal a prohibition, but the conventional meaning warning someone not to mention a sensitive subject relies on a metaphorical mapping from physical location to topical territory. This pragmatic/metaphorical shift is not fully predictable from the words alone, so learners may recognize a prohibition but not reliably infer the specific 'don't bring that up' sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Don't go there comes from the image of someone pointing to a dangerous place and saying 'don't go there' to stop you from entering it. That's why we now use don't go there to warn someone not to 'talk about' a sensitive subject because it will cause trouble.