to go around the houses

9.1

To avoid saying something directly by talking a long time before answering

idiom

: dar vueltas

He tends to go around the houses rather than address the issue directly.

Examples

Stop going around the houses and tell me what you really think!
Stop going around the houses and tell us what you really think.
Every time I ask her a simple question, she goes around the houses before answering.
Why do you always go around the houses in meetings?
When asked about his opinion, he tends to go around the houses instead of giving a direct answer.
She always goes around the houses when discussing her plans, which confuses her friends.
Instead of addressing the issue directly, he went around the houses for ten minutes.

Synonyms

to beat around the bush

vsto go around the houses

Informal

17 5.6

To avoid saying what you mean directly

is unnecessarily indirect instead of answering the question clearly

to skirt around the issue

vsto go around the houses

1 6.8

To avoid talking about a difficult subject by giving vague answers

is chosen to dodge difficult matters rather than face them directly

to go all around the Wrekin

vsto go around the houses

Archaic

9.9

To talk or act in a long, roundabout way to avoid the main point

is needlessly indirect rather than giving a clear straight answer

to fudge the issue

vsto go around the houses

Informal

8.4

To avoid answering a question directly by being unclear

prefers a long roundabout approach instead of vague evasiveness

to speak in circles

vsto go around the houses

Informal

7.5

Talk without saying a clear answer, often repeating or being vague

is indirect by avoiding the point rather than stating it clearly

Antonyms

direct

302 3.5

Honest and clear in speech or action

to get to the point

Informal

126 3.1

Talk about the most important part without extra details

How Direct

to get to the point

Informal

126 3.1

to go around the houses

9.1

Surface Forms

go around the houses infinitive

going around the houses present participle

goes around the houses third person singular

went around the houses past

gone around the houses past participle

Morphology

go + around + the + houses

The literal components ('go' + 'around the houses') evoke taking a long, circuitous route, which supports a metaphorical reading of being indirect or not getting to the point. However, the pragmatic extension from physical detour to the idiomatic sense 'avoid giving a straight answer' is somewhat culture-specific and metaphorical, so a B1 learner who has not seen the idiom before may not reliably infer the exact meaning.

Etymology

The phrase go around the houses comes from the image of someone walking around the houses, taking a long, indirect route instead of going straight to the door. That long, indirect walk is a clear memory hook for why the phrase now means 'to avoid getting to the point' or 'to be unnecessarily indirect'.