Beat around the bush

Definition

To avoid talking directly about a topic, to speak evasively or delay getting to the point.

Etymology

This phrase comes from medieval bird hunting practices where hunters would hire beaters to thrash bushes and drive birds into nets. However, skilled beaters would 'beat around the bush' rather than directly at it, to avoid startling the birds too quickly. The practice of indirect approach became a metaphor for indirect speech.

Kelly Says

The original bush-beaters were actually being skillful and strategic, not evasive! The metaphor flipped from describing a deliberate technique to criticizing avoidance behavior. It's also one of the few idioms where the literal practice it describes is so obsolete that most people have no idea what bush-beating actually involved.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ችግሮን አድሮ
ch-ge-ro-n-a-dro
ARالعربية
التملص
al-ta-mla-ṣ
BNবাংলা
বিষয় এড়িয়ে যাওয়া
bi-sho-ye-ḍi-ye-ya-o-wa
CACatalà
fer voltes
fe-r-vol-tes
CSČeština
obcházet problém
ob-chez-ti-pro-blém
DADansk
snakke omkring sagen
snak-ke-om-kring-sa-gen
DEDeutsch
um den heißen Brei herumreden
ʊm deːn haɪsən braɪ hɛʁʊmʁeːdən
ELΕλληνικά
περιστρέφω το ζήτημα
pe-ri-stre-fo-to-zi-tee-ma
ESEspañol
dar rodeos
dar-ro-de-os
FAفارسی
فرار از vấn đề
fa-ra-r-az-van-de
FISuomi
kiertää asiaa
kier-tää-a-si-a
FRFrançais
tourner autour du pot
tu-rner-ou-tour-du-poh
GUGU
મુદ્દાને ટાળવું
mu-d-da-ne-ta-ḷ-vuṁ
HAHA
tsallaka daga batu
tsal-la-ka-da-ga-ba-tu
HEעברית
לרמוז
le-ram-oz
HIहिन्दी
मुद्दे से बचना
mud-de-se-bach-nā
HUMagyar
kerülni a valóságot
ke-ryl-ni-a-va-ló-sa-got
IDBahasa Indonesia
menghindari masalah
məŋ-hin-da-ri-ma-sa-lah
IGIG
ịkpọkpọ na isiokwu
i-kpo-kpo-na-i-si-ok-wu
ITItaliano
girare intorno alla questione
dʒi-ra-re-in-to-rno-al-la-kwe-zi-o-ne
JA日本語
遠回し
toori-mawashi
KKKK
мәселені шалғайлату
mä-sel-e-ni-shal-gha-y-la-tu
KMKM
ការរត់គេចពីបញ្ហា
ka-ror-gec-pei-ban-ha
KO한국어
회피하다
hoi-pi-ha-da
MRMR
मुद्द्याचा फेरफार करणे
mu-d-dya-cha-fe-rafar-kar-ne
MSBahasa Melayu
mengelakkan masalah
məŋ-e-lak-kan-ma-sa-lah
MYမြန်မာ
ပြဿနာကို ရှောင်ရှင်းခြင်း
pra-nya-ka-ko-shaung-shin-hkyin
NLNederlands
om de pot heen praten
om-de-pot-heen-pra-ten
NONorsk
snakke omkring saken
snak-ke-om-kring-sa-ken
PAPA
ਮੁੱਦੇ ਤੋਂ ਬਚਣਾ
mu-d-de-toṁ-bach-na
PLPolski
unikać odpowiedzi
u-ni-kać-od-po-wie-dzi
PTPortuguês
dar voltas
dar-vol-tas
RORomână
a ocoli problema
a-o-ko-li-pro-ble-ma
RUРусский
обходить вопрос
ab-xo-dit' vop-ros
SVSvenska
prata runt potatisen
prɑː-ta-runt-po-ta-ti-sen
SWKiswahili
kupunguza suala
ku-pu-ngu-za-sua-la
TAதமிழ்
விடயத்தைத் தவிர்த்தல்
vi-ṭa-yat-tai-ta-vi-r-tal
TEతెలుగు
అంశాన్ని తప్పించుకోవడం
an-sha-nni-ta-pi-nchu-ko-va-dam
THไทย
หลีกเลี่ยงประเด็น
līk-līeng-pra-den
TLTL
lumiko sa isyu
lu-mi-ko-sa-is-yu
TRTürkçe
konudan kaçınmak
ko-nu-dan-ka-chin-mak
UKУкраїнська
обходити питання
ob-xo-dy-ty-pit-an-nya
URاردو
مصیبت سے بچنا
mu-si-bat-se-bach-na
VITiếng Việt
tránh vấn đề
tránh-vấn-đề
YOYO
gbe ipinle
gbe-i-pin-le
ZH中文
拐弯抹角
guǎi wān mò jiǎo
ZUZU
ukugeza esikhundleni
u-ke-ge-za-e-si-khun-dle-ni

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