kerülgeti, mint macska a forró kását

Hungarian

Etymology

Literally: “go around it like cat around hot porridge.”

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛrylɡɛti mint ˈmɒt͡ʃkɒ ɒ ˈforːoː ˈkaːʃaːt]

Verb

kerülgeti, mint macska a forró kását

1. (simile) to be afraid to go close to something (physically)
2. (simile, figuratively) to beat around the bush (to have no courage to do or say something honestly and firmly)

   Synonyms: hímez-hámoz, kertel, köntörfalaz, mellébeszél

Conjugation

• For the verb, see the definite conjugation of kerülget.
• The rest of the simile remains unchanged.

Further reading

• Gyula Paczolay: 750 Hungarian proverbs, 1991 [1]