Mentor Josephan's Idiom of The Day #7

6 years ago

BEAT ABOUT/AROUND THE BUSH

To speak or write evasively; to talk around an issue.
To talk about something without mentioning it directly or avoid getting to the core of the subject.
To try to bring up a subject in a roundabout way. Often motivated from a desire not to speak frankly about the subject, either because the subject is taboo, it's impolite to bring it up directly, or the conversation is perceived likely to be painful.
 
Synonyms
go around the houses
go around Robin Hood's barn.
pussyfoot
prevaricate
ramble
waffle

1. Judy couldn’t come right out and tell her fiancé that she no longer wanted to marry him. She had to beat around the bush until he understood.
2. If you disagree with my opinion, just tell me. Don’t beat around the bush. 
3. One can conceivably argue, "Mentor Josephan delivers expansive lessons," but he certainly does not beat around the bush.

Antonyms: 
Get to the point. 

The phrase originates from a hunting practice dating to the 15th century, in which hunters hired ‘beaters’ to drive small animals out of bushes where the hunters could more easily get to them. The beaters would lightly beat around the edges of the bushes to lure the animals out without completely frightening them away.

Idiom: a group of words that means something different than the individual words it contains.
"Americans use about four idioms in every minute of conversation. If you don't see the light of American English Idiom, you're in the dark understanding American English!"  Mentor Josephan P. Sterling
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