Vocab Bloom Hub

hem and haw

/ˈhɛm ənd ˈhɔː/

1 entry

phrase

C1informalamerican/ˈhɛm ənd ˈhɔː/

To hesitate, stall, or avoid giving a direct answer; to speak in a vague or indecisive manner, often by making sounds like 'hem' and 'haw'.

ruКолебаться, тянуть время или избегать прямого ответа; говорить неопределённо или нерешительно, часто издавая звуки вроде «хм» и «ну».esVacilar o evitar dar una respuesta directa, perdiendo tiempo o hablando de forma vaga e indecisa, a menudo con sonidos como «eh» y «mmm».frHésiter, tergiverser ou éviter de répondre directement ; parler de façon vague ou indécise, souvent en émettant des sons comme « euh » et « hum ».deZögern, Zeit schinden oder eine direkte Antwort vermeiden; unentschlossen oder ausweichend reden, oft mit Fülllauten wie „hmm“ und „äh“.ptHesitar, enrolar ou evitar dar uma resposta direta; falar de forma vaga ou indecisa, muitas vezes emitindo sons como "hã" e "hum".zh指犹豫不决、支支吾吾,拖延时间或回避正面回答;说话含糊其辞、不明确,常伴随“嗯”“呃”等语气词。arالتَّرَدُّدُ والتَّلَكُّؤُ والإِبْطاءُ في اتِّخاذِ القَرارِ أو الإِجابَةِ، والتَّهَرُّبُ مِنَ الجَوابِ الصَّريحِ بِالكَلامِ الغامِضِ أَوْ غَيْرِ الحاسِمِ.

  1. Hesitate or be indecisive B2 informal american

    To pause or hesitate when speaking, often because one is unsure or unwilling to give a direct answer.

    • When asked about his plans, he hemmed and hawed for a few minutes.
    • Stop hemming and hawing and just tell me what you think.
    • She hemmed and hawed before finally agreeing to the proposal.

    ruМямлить или колебатьсяesVacilar o mostrarse indecisofrhésiter, tergiverserdeZögern oder unentschlossen seinptHesitar ou titubearzh支支吾吾或犹豫不决arالتلعثم والتردد