# go around the houses

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-around-the-houses
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Do something (especially talking) circuitously.

## Examples

- Please stop going around the houses and tell me the truth.
- He went around the houses for twenty minutes before finally admitting he had lost the keys.
- Rather than addressing the core issue directly, the manager went around the houses with vague explanations, leaving the team more confused than before.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.