Hello!

How are you doing? I hope everything is going well.

Today I’d like to talk about a saying in Spanish: andarse por las ramas.

The equivalent in English would be to beat around the bush (or beat about the bush in British English). You might also hear andarse por entre las ramas or irse por las ramas.

The expression means to avoid getting to the point either out of distraction or on purpose.

Let’s see some examples:

• Mónica se anda por las ramas cuando de dinero se trata.

See translation

Mónica is beating around the bush when it comes to money.

• Ya no te andes por las ramas y dime qué pasó.

See translation

Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.

Here are some clips that show people using this expression:

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx9xCK9bZEIkDkpeyY4sOlwwwOFO7NIzcw?si=KrFKb7LMzMAjHToH

• Pero, bueno, tiene que ver con esa sensación de irme por las ramas que me encanta.

See translation

Well, it has to do with the feeling of going off on a tangent, which I love.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxkJqQ9MwpI3Q-2647dYo4-CoyAPGp3gkR?si=Til3hjf1rxe2XHi6

• El peligro es real, monstruoso incluso y no es cuestión de andarse por las ramas.

See translation

The danger is real, even monstruous, and this is not time to beat around the bush.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZQiPAolzweXSRlE-zTEd-wCT75NaXfrg?si=4bWqaPIVOZmiMy7y

• Esto es muy potente. Y siguiendo con el cortometraje, para no irme por las ramas, cuando terminé la edición…

See translation

This is very powerful. And going on with the short film, not to go off on a tangent, when I finished editing…

Other ways to express this idea in Spanish are andarse con rodeos or dar vueltas with the same meaning.

Now, it’s your turn! Have you ever heard this phrase before?

Could you think of a situation where you could use it? Let me know in the comments.

See you next time!

Crédito de la foto de portada | Photo credit: GHOSTY MEDIA en Unsplash