whip the devil around the stump
whip the devil around the stump
obsolete To act evasively or deceptively. The committee needs to take decisive action and stop whipping the devil around the stump. This latest document is just a way for the lawyer to whip the devil around the stump and keep delaying the proceedings.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.