🗓️ Idiom: Dance Around the Subject (v)
💬 Meaning
- To avoid talking directly about a problem or issue.
- To speak in a vague or indirect way instead of being honest.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The manager kept dancing around the subject when employees asked about the new pay policy.
- The customer was upset because the support agent danced around the subject instead of explaining the real reason for the delay.
- When there’s a complaint, it’s better to be clear than to dance around the subject.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from the image of someone dancing in circles around an object instead of facing it. It started being used in English in the early 1900s to describe people who avoid speaking directly about an uncomfortable or sensitive issue.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
When the client asked about the late delivery, the sales rep ________ instead of giving a clear answer.
Answer
danced around the subject
2. Choose the correct answer:
What does “dance around the subject” mean?
a) Change the topic completely.
b) Avoid talking directly about an issue.
c) Argue with someone in public.
Answer
b) Avoid talking directly about an issue.
3. Change the sentence using “dance around the subject”:
“The manager didn’t answer the question directly about the budget cuts.”
Answer
The manager danced around the subject of the budget cuts.
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