"To Beat About The Bush" | Origin And Meaning - Grammar Monster

Home » Where Did The Saying Beating Around The Bush Come From » "To Beat About The Bush" | Origin And Meaning - Grammar Monster

Maybe your like

To Beat about the Bush (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the "To Beat about the Bush"?

home▸sitemap▸sayings & proverbs ▸to beat about the bush The phrase to beat about the bush is used when somebody shows unnecessary caution or hesitation. To beat about the bush comes from the 14th century proverb one beats the bush, another takes the bird, which means that while one person does most of the work, the other takes the profit. The phrase comes from the early hunting of game-birds when the beater would disturb the bird and the hunter would catch it. By beating about the bush and not in it, you ensure the other person does not benefit from your activity. The term is most commonly seen in the form stop beating about the bush, which means get on with it or do it properly. To Beat about the Bush (Origin)

How Do You Say "To Beat about the Bush"?

  • To Beat about the Bush

Voice Selection

The following voices are available on your browser. Sorry. No voices have loaded. Try a different browser or refreshing the page.

More Examples of Use

  • Can you just get to the point? You're beating around the bush.
  • Stop beating around the bush. What are trying to say?
  • He'll never give you a direct answer. He always beats around the bush.

Previous and Next Sayings

More Proverbs, Sayings, and Idioms

author logo

This page was written by Craig Shrives.

You might also like...

What are idioms? What is figurative language? A list of common grammar errors A list of easily confused words A list of sayings and proverbs

Help us improve...

Was something wrong?

please tell us

Use #gm to find us quicker.

more info... sharecopy

Create a QR code.

create QR

teachers' zone

play:

the big, timed test Tetris (easily confused words)

read:

200+ common proverbs and idioms favo(u)rite-word lists common misspellings easily confused words tattoo fails FAQs by writers

Multi-choice Test

expand tofull page

showas slides

send ashomework

print ashandout

Tag » Where Did The Saying Beating Around The Bush Come From