Beat around the bush

拐弯抹角，旁敲侧击
Beat即“打”，而bush即“灌木丛”。Beat around the bush直译为“在灌木丛边打来打去”。中世纪英国贵族打猎时常雇佣一些人专门在灌木丛边拍打，使从中野兽惊慌奔逃而猎之，他们敲敲打打，似乎与打猎无关，但却是极有效的获得猎物的方法，所以beat around the bush现比喻“旁敲侧击”地去达到目的。
He had been praising our furniture and commenting on our painting for an hour before he stopped beating around the bush and said,"May I borrow＄500 from you?"
他花了整整一个小时来赞赏我们的家具和油画，最后他终于不再拐弯抹角了，直说要向我们借五百元。