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beat around the bush

verb
/ˈbiːt əˌɹaʊ̯nd ðə bʊʃ/UK/ˈbit əˌɹaʊ̯nd ðə bʊʃ/CA/ˈbiːt əˌɹæɔ̯nd ðə bʊʃ/

Etymology

From the older form beat about the bush, replacing the preposition.

Definitions

  1. To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally.

  2. To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.

    • Just stop beating around the bush and tell me what the problem is!
    • "Look here," said Smith, menacingly, "if you think I cheated you, you might as well say so right out. I don't like beating around the bush."

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for beat around the bush. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA