Beating about the bush

Also known as: Beating Around The Bush 

   Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.

In bird hunts some of the participants roused the birds by beating the bushes and enabling others to catch them. This was a preamble to the main event of the catching, hence the metaphor Ex: Stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase.

Spanish: andarse con rodeos

German: um den heißen Brei herumreden