English, baby!

beat around the bush

Date: Apr 15 2004

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“Trey doesn’t beat around the bush. He’s an extremely forward person. If he has an idea about something, he comes straight out and says it.”
- Dave Matthews, musician, talking about musician Trey Anastasio. [VH1]

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

talk about something important without saying it directly

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

When someone is “beating around the bush” he is avoiding the thing he really wants to talk about. He is saying things that might be related to the real issue, but for some reason he’s not talking about what’s really important. For example, if your brother borrowed your favorite jacket and then lost it, he might start talking about the weather, saying something like, “You probably won’t need a jacket for several months. It’s going to be hot for a while. Your jacket was really getting old anyway. You probably wanted a new one, right?” He would be saying those things because he was “beating around the bush” and didn’t want to tell you that he lost your jacket.
Someone who does not “beat around the bush” is straight forward and sincere. S/he says what’s on his/her mind without worrying about the consequences.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”

“Jack never beats around the bush. If something is on his mind, he says it immediately.”

“Don’t beat around the bush. Tell me what you really think. Do you like my shirt or not?”

“It’s very important that you don’t beat around the bush. Tell us everything you know.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

“Beat around the bush” means talk about irrelevant things to avoid dealing with a subject, not come directly to the point. For example, Stop beating around the bush and talk to me. What’s the problem?
by Sherry (ShenZhen, China)
A person who does not “beat around the bush” is a very straight and sincere guy. One who does not lose time or uses evasive statements when trying to say something.
by Marcelo (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
not saying things directly; not being forward; asking questions in many other respects in order to get the real one in one’s mind
by Elaine (Taipei, Taiwan)
Beat around the bush is: When someone has something to say but instead of going straight to the point, he/she just keeps on talking about other things. He/she keeps on beating around the bush and never says what he/she really has to say.
by Adilson (Aracaju – SE, Brazil)
to ‘beat around the bush’ means to answer not straight to the question, to try to avoid answering what is being asked.
by Pinkie (Hanoi, Vietnam)
It means when somebody doesn’t want to say something at once. So he talks about other things until he’s courageous enough to say what he really wants.
by Helen (João Pessoa, Brazil)
If someone beats around the bush, they waste time doing something in a complicated or indirect way.
by Matilda (Taipei, Taiwan)
beat around the bush means keep talking or doing something unimportant and out of the topic
by Ivy (Penang, Malaysia)
This slang “beat around the bush” means that someone doesn’t make the main points and says something less important during the conversation.
by Joanna (Taipei, Taiwan)
“beat around the bush” means: not to say ideas because of being afraid of their consequences.
by homayoun (Mashhad, Iran)
Speak something indirectly, going around the topics before hitting the main point.
by Miao (Petaluma, CA – USA)
talk about something without coming to the point
by xiao (Guangzhou, China)
it means that a person doesn’t speak straightforwardly and directly.
by Lan (Beijing, China)
It means to go straight to the point without doubt or without mentioning things that are not related to the topic dealt with
by paola (Pasto, Colombia)
Just say what you want to say regardless of making others angry, sad, unhappy, offending others, bringing yourself mischance. That means you say without considering the results
by Linda (Shenzhen, China)
It means saying things in a straight forward way and directly.
by lucia (Hong Kong, China)
Meaning being indirect about things.
by Jodie (Taipei, Taiwan)
I guess that means not saying something straight.
by puff (SZ, China)
describe an indirect ppl, not stright forward
by val (Buffalo, NY – USA)
speaking straightly what one thinks of something, but not roundabout.
by huiping (Shanghai, China)
frank, more socialized person loke if he or she want to say any thing, speak infront of particula person without hasitation
by sweety (Sedalia, AZ – USA)
not to tell things clearly, frankly. or doesn’t come straight out and say it, but mention other topic which has something to do with what he wants talk about.
by Mary (DongGuan, China)
say or do anything that doesn’t straight.
by siriporn (Bangkok, Thailand)
getting confuse with something, having difficult to move forward, getting lost with something else.
by Kshitiz (Sedalia, USA)
hesitate, have not strong mind and confidence.
by pengcheng (Wuhan, China)
hesitate
by coral (Mudanjiang, China)
Trey always comes to the point. He is straight forward person.
by Naureen (Lahore, Pakistan)
try to avoid troubles and challenges
by Joey (Richmond, Canada)
I guess “beat around the bush” means paraphrasing something
by Joana (Schlüchtern, Germany)
person who is extremely introverted,dont want to share the feeling,think before talking, unsocialized person
by sweety (Biratnagar, Nepal)
I think this phrase means “stand still and do nothing useful”.
by Yue (Shenyang, China)
It means that someone is bragging or exaggerating something which they have just invented or discovered it.
by Asad (Karachi, Pakistan)