# beat around the bush

Pronunciation: say "beet uh-rownd thuh BUUSH" US /ˌbit əˌɹaʊnd ðə ˈbʊʃ/, UK /ˌbiːt əˌɹaʊnd ðə ˈbʊʃ/; AUS say "BEET uh-ROWND thuh BUUSH"

## Idiom

1. To delay or avoid speaking directly about a difficult or uncomfortable subject.
   - Simple: To avoid talking about something hard or unpleasant by speaking about other things instead.
   - _Doctors sometimes beat around the bush when they have to deliver a grim diagnosis._
   - _He beat around the bush for ten minutes before finally mentioning the layoffs._
2. To address a subject while deliberately leaving out its central or most important points.
   - Simple: To talk about something but leave out the main point, often on purpose.
   - _His report beat around the bush, touching on side issues while skipping the key findings._
   - _Rather than state his real objection, the lawyer beat around the bush for an hour._

## Origin

This phrase developed from the older form "beat about the bush," simply replacing the preposition "about" with "around."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/beat-around-the-bush (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).