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| Beat around the bush | If, in a discussion, you
beat around the bush, you have difficulty in saying clearly what you want to say. |
| Blow hot and cold | If you blow hot and cold about something, you
constantly change your opinion about it. "The boss keeps blowing hot and cold about the marketing campaign - one day he finds it excellent, the next day he wants to make changes." | >
| Chop and change | If you chop and change,
you constantly change your opinion, plans or methods and often cause confusion. "Don't chop and change all the time - just make up your mind!" |
| Cough up | If you have to cough up something, such as money or information,
you give it reluctantly or unwillingly. "He refused to say who attacked him until his father made him cough up the names." |
| Drag one's feet |
To say that a person is dragging their feet means that they are
unnecessarily delaying making a decision about something that is important to you. |
| Get cold feet | If you get cold feet about something, you begin
to hesitate about doing it; you are no longer sure whether you want to do it or not. | >
| On the fence | When faced with a choice, a person who is on the fence has not
yet reached a decision. "The candidates have such similar ideas that many electors are still on the fence." |
| Hem and haw |
When someone hems and haws, they are very evasive and avoid giving a clear answer. "Bobby hemmed and hawed when his parents asked him where he had spent the night." |
| The jury is still out | To say that the jury is still out means that something is under consideration but no decision has been reached yet "The jury is still out on the location of the new station." |
| Prod
someone into doing something |
If you prod someone into doing something, you make a slow
or hesitant person do something that they are reluctant to do. "She was ideal for the job, but I had to prod her into applying for the position." |
| Put out feelers | If a person or organization
puts out feelers, they cautiously
check the views of others. "The politician put out feelers to test public reaction to his future proposals." |
| In a quandary | If you are in a quandary about something, you find it difficult
to decide what to do. "The job they offer is less interesting but the salary is better. I'm in a quandary about what to do." |
| Shilly-shally | If you shilly-shally, you hesitate a lot about something and
have difficulty reaching a decision. "Come on! Don't shilly-shally - just make up your mind!" |
| In two minds |
If you are in two minds about something, you have difficulty deciding
what to do. "I'm in two minds about whether or not to accept the offer." |
| Up in the air |
If something, such as a plan or a decision, is up in the air,
it has not been decided or settled yet. "I can't give you a definite answer yet; the project is still up in the air." |
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