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drucksen

to hem and haw, to be hesitant in speech

verb DRUCK-zen Rare
Communication Speech

Usage Note

drucksen describes the verbal hesitation of someone who finds it hard to say something — they hem and haw, stalling with filler sounds. 'Er druckste lange herum, bevor er die Wahrheit sagte' (He hemmed and hawed for a long time before telling the truth). It implies discomfort or reluctance.

Examples

"Er druckste lange herum, bevor er ihr endlich sagte, dass er kündigen wollte."

Natural Translation

He hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally telling her he wanted to resign.

Literal Translation

He hemmed-and-hawed long around, before he her finally told, that he resign wanted.

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