about the bush around the bush beat about beat around beg the question bicker boggle cavil choplogic circumlocute dodge duck equivocate evade evade the issue fence go round about hedge hem and haw mystify nitpick obscure palter parry periphrase pick nits prevaricate pull away pull back pussyfoot put off quibble recoil sheer off shift shift off shrink shuffle shy shy away shy off sidestep split hairs step aside swerve tergiversate ward off