beat around the bush

뜻

to avoid saying something directly

직접 말하지 않고 빙빙 돌려 말하다.

예문

1. 1If you want to borrow money again, you can say so instead of beating around the bush.
2. 2Tom beat around the bush for ten minutes before admitting he had scratched my car.
3. 3Please don't beat around the bush – just tell me honestly whether you liked my essay.
4. 4Jack spent ages chatting about the weather; he always beats around the bush when he has bad news.
5. 5When I asked about a pay rise, my boss beat around the bush instead of giving a straight answer.

문법

beat만 바뀐다: beats, beating, beat, beaten. 영국에서는 beat about the bush라고도 한다.

비슷한 뜻