hem and haw
verb
Forms hems and haws hemming and hawing hemmed and hawed hem and hah
- verb (idiomatic, US) To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action or making up one's mind. “If you hem and haw long enough, someone else will do it first.”
- verb To mumble and procrastinate in one's speech, especially with a reply to a hard question or with voicing a decision on a topical matter; to evade a question, giving vague answers; to equivocate or temporize.
Synonyms
Etymology
hem + and + haw
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “hem and haw”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details