attractive nuisance
1
8.6
- noun
- /əˈtræktɪv ˈnjuːsəns/
- Jargon
:
peligro atractivo
- Mr. Hoover calls the Grange school a "huge attractive nuisance."
Examples
-
No, sorry, that will be an attractive nuisance and not permitted.
Blog text (19) -
You're liable to be sued for creating an attractive nuisance.
Fiction book (1991) -
An abandoned house is an attractive nuisance.
Blog text (2) -
DJ IZ: This is the definition of an attractive nuisance.
-
Attractive nuisance.
Fiction book (2002) -
In property law, you don't hold victims responsible for their own burglaries, but they are liable for "attractive nuisances."
Blog text (15) -
"This is no longer a residential zone," then, looking from the unruly kids in the car to the shattered windows of the house, "more of an attractive nuisance, I'd say."
Fiction book (2002) -
A neglected swimming pool can be considered an attractive nuisance because it draws children who might accidentally drown.
-
The old, abandoned factory on the corner is an attractive nuisance that poses serious risks to curious kids.
-
Homeowners must address any attractive nuisance, like a broken fence around a trampoline, to prevent injuries to visiting children.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is partly compositional: combining 'attractive' (appealing) with 'nuisance' (a harmful or annoying thing) lets learners infer it denotes something appealing that causes problems. However, its specific legal nuance—that it is a hazard likely to attract children and create liability—is technical and not fully predictable from the parts, so it is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Attractive nuisance gives a clear picture: a bright or tempting thing, like an open pool or broken machine, that is attractive to children but is a dangerous nuisance. So an attractive nuisance is something on a property that 'attracts' kids and might 'cause harm'.