뜻：
a subject which causes unpleasant memories of past difficulties and arguments
(아픈 곳, 불만의 원인)

상용구：
A very similar phrase to this is ‘touchy subject’, or a ‘no go area’.  They both have the idea that it is something that you should not really talk about, a sore point is really something that is unpleasant for somebody for a particular reason.

상용구:
a sore point with 사람

예문：
Don’t ask him why he had to sell his car last year; it’s a sore point with him.
（그에게 작년에 왜 차를 팔았는지 묻지마, 아픈 데니까.）

Don’t speak about what happened on holiday last summer; it’s a sore point with her.
（작년 휴가 때 무슨 일이 일어났는지 말하지마, 그녀에게 아픈 곳이야.）

Don’t ask Adam if he got a salary increase this year; he didn’t, and it is a sore point with him.
（아담에게 올해 월급이 올랐는지 묻지마, 그러지 못해서 불만이니까.）

Conversation 1
A: Hi there, have you seen Jane?
B: No I haven’t, why do you want to see her.
A: I heard that she split up with her boyfriend.
B: Yeah, that’s right, about a week ago.
A: The thing is, I lent him some CD’s, and he said that he would give them back to me through her, but if they are not seeing each other that could be a problem so I wanted to get his number off her so I can call him myself.
B: Oh I see, I’d wait a little while before you ask her, the subject of him is a bit of a sore point with her, she’s still very upset about what happened.
A: Ok then, but I can’t leave it for too long because I need my CD’s back.

A: 안녕, 제인 봤니?
B: 아니, 못만났는데, 왜 만나려고?
A: 남자친구하고 헤어졌다고 들어서,,
B: 음, 맞아 1주일 전에
A: 문제는 그에게 빌려준CD가 조금 있어서 제인을 통해서 돌려준다고 했는데 말이야. 두사람 이제 안만나면 큰일이야. 제인에게 전화번호 받아서 직접 해볼려고 그래.
B: 아, 그렇구나. 나라면 아직 안 물어볼거야. 그 사람얘기는 그애에게 아직 조금 아픈 얘기인지도 몰라. 그녀는 아직 그일로 속상해 하고 있거든.
A: 오케이, 알았어. 그래도 너무 오래는 못기다려, CD돌려받아야 하니까. 

Conversation 2
A: Hi, what’s the matter with Sarah?
B: I don’t know, what happened?
A: I was just talking to her and she started crying and walked off.
B: What did you say to her?
A: Nothing, I just said that I would rather die than go for dinner with that guy I met in the bar last night.
B: Didn’t you hear, her grandmother died yesterday, so it’s a sore point with her.
A: Oh no I didn’t realize, what a stupid thing to say! I’ll go and apologize.
 
A: 안녕, 사라 왜그래?
B: 몰라, 왜?
A: 걔하고 얘기 하고 있었는데, 갑자기 울기 시작하면서 뛰쳐나가지 뭐야.
B: 그녀에게 뭐라고 했는데?
A: 아무 말도, 저녁에 바에서 만난 남자와 밥먹으러 갈정도면 차라리 죽는게 낫겠다고 했을 뿐인데.
B: 아무 말도 못들었니？사라네 할머니 어제 돌아가셨어. 그얘기는 걔한테 금기인데…
A: 아, 몰랐어. 그런 바보같은 소리를 하다니… 가서 사과해야겠네.

(Callan book5, Stage 9 834p)