skirt around


skirt around (someone or something)

1. To lie around the edge of something. The small creek skirting around the edge of our property has always been a source of fascination to our kids. The proposed highway will skirt around the city to ease the pressure of rush-hour commuters.2. To move around someone or something so as to avoid or evade them or it. The pilots changed course in order to skirt around the storm. I skirted around the security guard when his back was turned and made my way into the building.3. To avoid or evade some issue or topic, as by circumlocution. He always skirts around the issue whenever I bring up pay raises for the people on my team. When asked about his role in the scandal, the CEO skirted around the issue with a longwinded non sequitur about his loyalty to his company and its customers.See also: around, skirt

skirt around someone or something

Fig. to move around and avoid someone or something. (something can be a topic of conversation.) We talked the whole evening and managed to skirt around Fred. We had to skirt around the subject.See also: around, skirt