To avoid getting to the main point of something; to talk around a subject.
When you don't say what you really mean and talk about other things instead.
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
To avoid speaking directly about the main subject; to waste time with irrelevant talk before getting to the point.
"Stop beating about and just tell me whether you got the job or not."
Don't beat about the bush — say what you mean.
— Common British idiomatic usage; widely cited as a standard British English expression in usage guides such as Fowler's Modern English Usage.
To strike or move around the surrounding bushes — originally from hunting, where beaters would strike bushes to flush out birds.
When you don't say what you really mean and talk about other things instead.
Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'beat about the bush' (British English); the American equivalent is 'beat around the bush'. Rarely used in isolation outside this idiom.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "beat about" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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