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Phrase(s): *a bum steer
misleading instructions or guidance; a misleading suggestion. (Bum= false; phony. Steer = guidance, as in the steering of a car. *Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) • Wilbur gave Ted a bum steer and Ted ended up in the wrong town. • I got a bum steer from the salesman, and I paid far more than I needed to for a used car.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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False or misleading information; poor advice. For example, Gene felt his doctor had given him a bum steer, as he hadn't lost any weight on the diet. [Slang; c. 1920]
American Heritage Idioms