beat around the bush
Speak evasively, indirectly
To beat around the bush is to avoid addressing something directly, typically through evasive talk or unnecessary delay: Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
The image is of hunters beating at foliage near but not at the spot where game is hiding.
Someone who doesn't beat around the bush speaks plainly and gets to the point.
Speak vaguely to mislead
- prevaricateSpeak misleadingly to deceive
- hedgeBoundary of planted shrubs
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
skirt · evade · deflect · waffle · fudge · parry · stonewall · talk in circles
Indirect, wordy expression
- obliqueAngled, not straightforward
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
vague · elliptical · periphrastic · allusive · meandering · digressive · long-winded · verbose
Speak evasively, delay deciding
- stallEnclosed compartment or delay
- ditherNervous inability to choose
- vacillateWaver between choices
- falterLose momentum or steadiness
waver · hold back · drag one's feet · shilly-shally · dilly-dally · delay · procrastinate · put off
Socially sensitive and careful
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- guardedWary and restrained
- measuredCarefully considered, unhurried
- carefulExercising caution and attention
sugarcoat · soften the blow · kid gloves · cushion · test the waters · feel out
equivocate
Speak vaguely to mislead
- prevaricateSpeak misleadingly to deceive
- hedgeBoundary of planted shrubs
- dodgeAvoid by quick movement
sidestep · skirt · evade · deflect · waffle · fudge · parry · stonewall · talk in circles
circumlocution
Indirect, wordy expression
- obliqueAngled, not straightforward
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
tangential · vague · elliptical · periphrastic · allusive · meandering · digressive · long-winded · verbose · wordy
hem and haw
Speak evasively, delay deciding
falter · waver · hold back · drag one's feet · shilly-shally · dilly-dally · delay · procrastinate · put off · fence-sit
tactful
Socially sensitive and careful
careful · sugarcoat · soften the blow · kid gloves · cushion · test the waters · feel out
- folk sayingsproverb, adage, maxim, folk saying, old saying
- common sayingsproverbs, idioms, cliches, maxims, adages
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
beat around the bushget to the point
Speak directly now
speak plainly · cut to the chase · tell it like it is · lay it on the line · not mince words
beat around the bushgrasp the nettle
Face a difficulty directly
bite the bullet · take the bull by the horns · face the music · spit it out · come clean
around, beaten, beating, bushes, beats, beater, bushed, beatific, beaters