Hello and welcome to the English Like a Native podcast.
My name is Anna and you're listening to Week 16, Day 1 of your English Fiver Day, the second season.
This is the series that is dedicated to expanding your vocabulary so
that you can start to feel more like yourself when communicating in English.
So let's start as we always do with a snapshot of what's to come.
Listen closely.
Julia offered unsolicited advice on the project,
which annoyed Marvin
as he felt she had stepped on his toes by interfering with his responsibilities.
He took exception to her comments and grew noticeably cold toward her.
Their co-workers tried not to take sides, hoping the issue would resolve itself.
Some even questioned Julia's so-called helpfulness, wondering if she had other motives.
OK, let's look at some of that vocabulary.
We start with the idiom, to step on someone's toes, to step on someone's toes.
Step, S-T-E-P, on someone's toes.
T-O-E-S.
Now if you step on someone's toes,
obviously it's not very nice if you do it physically and you would apologise,
but if you do it metaphorically using this idiom, then it means that you upset them,
usually by getting involved in something that is their responsibility or their business.