hem and haw

Idioms  

1. Be hesitant and indecisive; avoid committing oneself, as in When asked about their wedding date, she hemmed and hawed, or The President hemmed and hawed about new Cabinet appointments. This expression imitates the sounds of clearing one's throat. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hem and haw

They didn’t hem and haw as if they were conflicted about their damning testimony and betrayed no hint of empathy born from the shared stresses and dangers of police work.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2021

Most real estate TV quests are partially faked; many times, the couples have already bought the home they pretend to hem and haw over before choosing it in the end.

From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2021

“People hem and haw and they say, ‘I should suck this up,’” Ms. Bonior said.

From New York Times ● Nov. 5, 2019

Amid all the door-knocking last weekend, most of what voters did was hem and haw.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2015

I was sure Miss Lacey was going to take it away, but she continued to hem and haw.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu