Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
hem and haw — verb utter hems and haws ; indicated hesitation He hemmed and hawed when asked to address the crowd • Hypernyms: ↑hesitate, ↑pause • Verb Frames: Somebody s They hem and haw a long time * * * … Useful english dictionary
hem and haw — they hem and haw every time we ask for an explanation Syn: hesitate, dither, vacillate, be indecisive, equivocate, waver; informal blow hot and cold, shilly shally … Thesaurus of popular words
hem and haw — verb (US) To discuss, deliberate, or contemplate rather than taking action. If you hem and haw long enough, someone else will do it first … Wiktionary
hem and haw — Synonyms and related words: about the bush, back and fill, back down, balance, beat around, beg the question, debate, deliberate, demur, dodge, duck, equivocate, evade, falter, fear, fence, halt, hang back, haw, hedge, hem, hesitate, hover, hum,… … Moby Thesaurus
hem and haw — chiefly N. Amer. another way of saying hum and haw (see hum1). → hem someone/thing in … English new terms dictionary
hem and haw — {v. phr.} 1. To pause or hesitate while speaking, often with little throat noises. * /The man was a poor lecturer because he hemmed and hawed too much./ 2. To avoid giving a clear answer; be evasive in speech. * /The principal asked Bob why he… … Dictionary of American idioms
hem\ and\ haw — v. phr. 1. To pause or hesitate while speaking, often with little throat noises. The man was a poor lecturer because he hemmed and hawed too much. 2. To avoid giving a clear answer; be evasive in speech. The principal asked Bob why he was late to … Словарь американских идиом
hem and haw — to pause a lot and avoid saying something directly. When asked what kind of woman he was looking for, he hemmed and hawed and finally admitted he was looking for a party girl … New idioms dictionary
hem and haw — avoid giving a clear answer, be evasive in speech He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was … Idioms and examples
hem and haw — (Roget s IV) v. Syn. stutter, hesitate in speech, prevaricate, falter; see hesitate , pause , stammer … English dictionary for students
