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Glite Dictionary
to step on a rake

to step on a rake

8.6
To have unexpected problems because of your own mistake
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : meter la pata
  • I thought I could get away with skipping the meeting, but then I stepped on a rake when I missed important updates.

Oh, I'm glad to talk about the differences from culture to culture, because this really just came up and hit me like I'd stepped on a rake or something.

Examples

  • Oh, I'm glad to talk about the differences from culture to culture, because this really just came up and hit me like I'd stepped on a rake or something.

    Film Courage

  • Oh, I'm glad to talk about the differences from culture to culture, because this really just came up and hit me like I'd stepped on a rake or something.

    Film Courage

  • When I forgot to save my work, I really felt like I had stepped on a rake.

  • Trying to fix the issue without reading the instructions made me step on a rake again.

Synonyms

to get into trouble
vsto step on a rake
200 2.6

Have problems because of what you do

happen unexpectedly and often stem from an overlooked mistake
to have an accident
vsto step on a rake
58 1.1

Get hurt or have things damaged in an unexpected event

involve unforeseen negative outcomes often caused by an overlooked mistake
to take a wrong turn
vsto step on a rake
  • Informal
20 3.9

Choosing the wrong direction or decision causes trouble

come from an unexpected oversight rather than a deliberate wrong choice
to wind up in trouble
vsto step on a rake
  • Informal
1 4.8

To end up in a difficult situation because of your choices

occur suddenly due to an overlooked action rather than gradually

Antonyms

to avoid
∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

How Serious

to reap what you sow
  • Informal
8 6.0
to step on a rake
  • Informal
8.6
to slip up
  • Informal
27 4.1

Surface Forms

step on a rake infinitive
stepped on a rake past
stepped on a rake past participle
stepping on a rake present participle
steps on a rake third person singular

Morphology

step + on + a + rake

The literal image of 'stepping on a rake' — taking a step onto a rake and suffering an immediate mishap — is directly built from 'step' + 'on' + 'rake' and can evoke accidental, self‑inflicted trouble for learners who know the words. However, extending that concrete event to the wider, conventionalized meaning 'encounter unexpected problems or negative consequences' requires a metaphorical inference and some conventional knowledge, so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

The idiom step on a rake gives a clear picture: when you step on a garden rake, the long handle can swing up and hit you. So the phrase means 'to run into an unexpected problem or get a bad result, often because of your own mistake'.