beat around the bush
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: beat about the bush
Meaning · English
To avoid saying something directly; to approach a topic indirectly.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Tránh nói trực tiếp; tiếp cận chủ đề gián tiếp
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: To strike the bushes around game rather than the game itself.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Urging someone to get to the point.
Register: informalConnotation: impatientEra: 16th century – present
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
More common
British & Irish English
• as “beat about the bush”
Examples
Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “beat around the bush” mean?
To avoid saying something directly; to approach a topic indirectly. Literally: To strike the bushes around game rather than the game itself.
Is “beat around the bush” formal or informal?
beat around the bush is generally informal; connotation: impatient.
What is the closest equivalent?
“đánh trống lảng” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.