hem and haw
1hem 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 * * * …
2hem 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 …
3hem 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 …
4hem 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,… …
5hem and haw — chiefly N. Amer. another way of saying hum and haw (see hum1). → hem someone/thing in …
6hem 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… …
7hem 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… …
8hem\ 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 …
9hem 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 …
10hem 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 …
