Meaning & Origin

The phrase dates back to medieval British bird‑hunting. Assistants would literally beat the bushes to flush birds toward hunters, careful not to strike the center and scare the quarry off. Over time it became a metaphor for avoiding the heart of a matter. Today it labels evasive speech, especially when someone fears delivering bad news or feels uncomfortable with a topic.

Pronunciation Guide

Say it as beet uh‑ROUND thuh bush
• beet — long “ee” as in *see*
• uh‑ROUND — stress on *round* (rhymes with *sound*)
• thuh bush — short, relaxed “uh” in *the* and short “u” in *bush*

Usage & Sentence Examples

1. Stop beating around the bush—are you coming to the party or not?
2. The manager beat around the bush when asked about layoffs.
3. I wish politicians wouldn’t beat around the bush during debates.

Synonyms

• prevaricate
• equivocate
• hem and haw
• waffle
• dodge the question