Language: en
Meaning: (literally)To step on thetinesof a gardenrake, causing the handle of the rake to rise from the ground rapidly, striking the person walking in the face.; (idiomatic)To fall victim to anavoidable(usuallyself-caused)hazardorerror.1939,Editor & Publisher, volume72, page 3:Our President [Franklin Roosevelt]stepped on a rakelast week, and the handle hopped up and hit him in the eye. He then blamed the press for leaving the rake lying around.1988June 29, William L. Dickinson,Hearings before the full committee and the Acquisition Policy Panel, Committee on Armed Service (US House of Reps.), page26:We passed this revolving door legislation here. We have done several things we thought were to tighten the system so that we would obviate any other scandals or improprieties. It was sort of likestepping on a rakehere — this thing flies up and hits you in the face. We thought we had done a pretty good job.1990April 27, “The rake awaits”, inThe Planner: journal of the Royal Town Planning Institute, volume76, number16, page 3:Ever since Patrick Jenkin as Environment Secretary attempted a modest revision of Green Belt policy - and suffered on his own admission an experience equivalent tostepping on a rakein long grass - politicians have been wary of suggesting even minor modifications to this well established symbol of post-war British planning.2012August 16, Kevin Roose, “The Libor Scandal Is About to Hit Home”, inIntelligencer:But having seen Wall Streetstep on a raketime and time again when it comes to incriminating e-mails and villainous characters, you can be fairly confident that Liborgate is going to be just as big a hit in the U.S. as it was abroad.2020July 6, Scott Stinson, “Scott Stinson: The MLB could have come out on top of COVID-19. Instead, it's descending into chaos”, inNational Post:Major League Baseball has displayed a unique ability tostep on a rakein recent years, with a championship team marred by a cheating scandal and a sudden change in the performance of its baseballs that the league has been unable to explain.2023March 9, Evan Michealson,What to make of a weird Timberwolves team,20223,page 9:Looking at the team's schedule to this point reveals signs of progress followed immediately bystepping on a rake.
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