um den heißen Brei herumreden (oom dayn HICE-en bry heh-ROOM-ray-den) Literally “to talk around the hot porridge” From um (around) + heißer brei (hot porridge) + herumreden (to talk around something). The image goes back to the 1500s and an older saying about a cat circling hot porridge instead of approaching it. It means avoiding the main subject rather than speaking plainly.