poke one's nose into


poke (one's) nose in(to) (something)

To involve oneself in an intrusive or nosy manner into something that is not one's business or responsibility. I wish my neighbors would quit poking their noses in and just leave us alone! Don't poke your nose into your brother's affairs—he can manage well enough on his own.See also: nose, poke

poke one's nose into

Pry into or meddle in another's affairs, as in I told her to stop poking her nose into our business. This usage replaced the earlier thrust one's nose into in the mid-1800s. See also: nose, poke

poke one's nose into, to

To interfere, to meddle. This term began as thrust one’s nose into someone’s affairs, back in the sixteenth century. The analogy presumably is to a dog or other animal nosing about. Samuel Johnson used it in his Dictionary under “Nose” (1755): “To thrust one’s Nose into the affairs of others, to be meddling with other people’s matters.” In America at some point poke was substituted.See also: nose, poke