Undecided or neutral about an issue; unable or unwilling to choose between two sides or options.
This phrase comes from the literal image of sitting on a fence between two properties, unable to commit to either side. First recorded in the 1820s, it evolved from the physical act of fence-sitting as a position of neutrality. The metaphor perfectly captures the uncomfortable and unstable position of indecision.
The phrase brilliantly captures the physical discomfort of actually sitting on a fence - it's inherently unstable and uncomfortable, just like being undecided. In politics, 'fence-sitter' became a somewhat derogatory term, suggesting that neutrality itself can be seen as a character flaw in situations demanding moral clarity.
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