Phrase for being indecisive/hesitant

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I am looking for a phrase that would fit this (kind of) pattern:

  1. “You know how my friends are, they always XXXXXX so I can’t expect an immediate answer.”

  2. “At the restaurant, when I was asked what I wanted to order, I XXXXXX before finally ordering the steak.”

  3. “Stop XXXXXX, this has to be done right now!”

So in general, it should describe someone as being indecisive, taking too long to make up their mind, hesitating before actually committing to something etc…

Answer

I have seen all of these words used : dilly-dally, dither, vacillate, waver

Also a nice idiom: beat around the bush

dilly-dally: to waste time, especially by indecision

don’t dillydally on the way to the store

dither: to delay taking action because you are not sure about
what to do

She did not dither about what to do next.

vacillate: to repeatedly change your opinions or desires

She has vacillated on this issue.

waver: to go back and forth between choices or opinions : to be
uncertain about what you think about something or someone

people who are still wavering between the two candidates

beat around the bush: to avoid answering a question; to stall; to
waste time

Stop beating around the bush and answer my question.

Edit: Found the following related idioms.

sit on the fence:

Fig. not to take sides in
a dispute; not to make a clear choice between two possibilities.

(Fig.
on the image of someone straddling a fence, representing indecision.)

When Jane and Tom argue, it is best to sit on the fence and not make
either of them angry. No one knows which of the candidates Joan will
vote for. She’s sitting on the fence.

cold feet: noun, Informal.
1. a loss or lack of courage or confidence; an onset of uncertainty or fear: She got cold feet when asked to sing a solo.

Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Idos , Answer Author : alwayslearning

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