Beat around the bush

Discuss a matter without coming to the point.
“He never beat about the bush when something was annoying him”

To talk about lots of unimportant things because you want to avoid talking about what is really important:

Quit beating around the bush and say what’s on your mind.

Cambridge Dictionary

To beat about the bush

PHRASE
If you tell someone not to beat about the bush, you mean that you want them to tell you something immediately and quickly, rather than in a complicated, indirect way.

Stop beating about the bush. What’s he done?

Collins Cobuild

Keeping up appearances

No self-awareness

Current Page

Inequality

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

The Magdeburg hemispheres

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

50 PAXMAN fails on Dutch TV about SAVILE SCANDAL

Back to menu         HIGHLY IMPORTANT

19 sep. 2014

Jeremy Paxman in a Dutch TV show. Anchorman Twan Huys drives Paxman into a corner about the big BBC scandal Jimmy Savile. Copyright: NTR Netherlands 2014, College Tour

“Beat around the bush” is a common English idiomatic expression that means to avoid getting to the point or being indirect in communication, often by using evasive or circumlocutory language. The key points of “beat around the bush” include:

  1. Indirectness: “Beat around the bush” implies a lack of directness in communication. Instead of addressing a topic or issue directly, someone who beats around the bush tends to avoid it or speak in a roundabout way.

  2. Avoidance: The phrase suggests a reluctance to confront or deal with an issue directly. It may involve intentionally avoiding a sensitive or difficult topic or being evasive in order to delay or avoid having to discuss or address it.

  3. Lengthy or ambiguous communication: “Beating around the bush” often involves using unnecessary or ambiguous language, resulting in lengthy or confusing communication that may not convey the intended message clearly.

  4. Lack of clarity: The phrase implies a lack of straightforwardness or clarity in communication, which can frustrate or confuse the listener, as the speaker is not getting to the point directly.

  5. Time-wasting: “Beating around the bush” can be seen as a waste of time or an inefficient way of communicating, as it prolongs discussions or negotiations and can hinder effective communication and problem-solving.

Overall, “beat around the bush” conveys the idea of avoiding directness and clarity in communication, often resulting in unnecessary confusion, ambiguity, and delays in addressing issues or resolving problems.

English Idioms with Meaning | Beat around the Bush

Here is an English idiom with its meaning. My channel is about learning English. I try to make creative and fun lessons to help you learn vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, verb tenses, idioms, IELTS and TOEFL preparation, and much more! My videos will help you improve your English speaking, reading, writing, and listening. If you don’t understand something I say or have any questions for me, please just ask! I reply to all the comments on my videos!

7 Super Useful Idioms to Improve Your Fluency

18 aug. 2020

ABOUT THE LESSON 📚
Learning English idioms is a great way to improve your comprehension and fluency because people use them all the time in casual conversation. So I walked out the door and searched for some of the most useful idioms to teach you. Here are the idioms that I found.

1) to beat around the bush
2) to bark up the wrong tree
3) to go with the flow
4) to nip (something) in the bud
5) Knock on wood.
6) (to be) living under a rock
7) grassroots

Ac Dc – Beating Around The Bush Lyrics

15 jul. 2017

Ac Dc – Beating Around The Bush Lyrics

8 Ripped Priest Saves The Day

6 apr. 2020

The church definitely doesn’t require it’s priests to be this shredded, but I also doubt that anyone’s complaining.
 
Welcome to the world-famous Just for Laughs Gags, we’ve been playing silly pranks on unsuspecting people in public and capturing hilarious reactions with hidden cameras.

Keeping up appearances

No self-awareness

Current Page

Inequality

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

The Magdeburg hemispheres