> I wouldn't ever call it "beating around the bush" because it creates the impression you're wasting time and that's not what you should want, but saying upfron

> I wouldn't ever call it "beating around the bush" because it creates the impression you're wasting time and that's not what you should want, but saying upfront "hey I am gonna consciously ramble a bit and we'll circle up on the synthesis" often buys you some runway to do that. The link I posted about the etymology of the phrase is interesting for this very reason, as it’s a bit of a misnomer. Beating around the bush is safer than beating the bush itself, as you have to get that much closer to the unknown that may be lurking inside said bushes.