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Idiom
Beat around the bush
Meaning: to avoid saying something directly.
- Example
- “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”
Bushes, porridge, dogs, cotton. One truth: stop circling and say it!
How other nations say it
Sweden · SwedishGå som katten kring het grötLiterally: Walk like the cat around hot porridge.Also used for tiptoeing around a sensitive topic.
Italy · ItalianMenare il can per l’aiaLiterally: Lead the dog around the farmyard.Also means stalling to waste time.
Poland · PolishOwijać w bawełnęLiterally: Wrap it in cotton.Often said in the negative: “nie owijać w bawełnę”, to speak bluntly.
Sources
We check every idiom and its literal meaning in two sources before it goes on screen. Found a mistake? Tell us.
