straddle the fence

straddle the fence

To not commit to a decision or take a side when presented with two or more options or possibilities. You can't straddle the fence any longer—you need to choose who of these two we need to fire. The government has been straddling the fence about legalizing marijuana for the past several years.
See also: fence, straddle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

straddle the fence

Fig. to support both sides of an issue. (As if one were partly on either side of a fence.) The mayor is straddling the fence on this issue, hoping the public will forget it. The legislator wanted to straddle the fence until the last minute, and that alone cost her a lot of votes.
See also: fence, straddle
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

straddle the fence

tv. to support both sides of an issue. The mayor is straddling the fence on this issue, hoping the public will forget it.
See also: fence, straddle
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

straddle the fence

Informal
To be undecided or uncommitted.
See also: fence, straddle
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • straddle
  • sit on the fence
  • on the fence
  • on the fence, be
  • on the fence, to be/sit
  • be on the fence
  • be sitting on the fence
  • pull (one) off the fence
  • come off the fence
  • fence hanger
References in periodicals archive
A simpler explanation for Lippard's appearing to straddle the fence on the war effort would be his desire to sell books to readers on both sides of the debate.
Shelley Streeby. American Sensations: Class, Empire and the Production of Popular Culture
If there is a lesson in all this, it is that as long as pro-lifers abandon genuine pro-life candidates for public office because "they can't win," and cast their lot instead with slippery politicians who manage to straddle the fence on the pro-life issue, they will always fight an uphill battle.
One small step for babykind
Teachers, attempting to straddle the fence between what they believe to be the most sound curricular and instructional practices and test-focused experiences for learners struggle to find a path that balances these seemingly contradictory demands.
Straddling the fence: implementing best practices in an age of accountability
"That's where I have to straddle the fence. I don't want to say or do anything that is harmful or not in this individual's best clinical interest.
Corporate consulting offers variety, extra income. (No Doctor-Patient Relationships)
More than likely the UK will continue to straddle the fence, billing itself to foreign investors as a gateway to Europe, while remaining outside the euro zone.
THE UK- A LACKLUSTER CONSUMER MARKET
Especially when you straddle the fence and start working for the media like Ian Botham, whose reputation has soared since he packed hi s whites away and started spouting forth for Sky.
Ged Scott on Saturday: Marathon climb up life's peaks setting Dalglish up for fall
Quite obviously, on further consideration, I should no longer straddle the fence, offering, instead, my own version of "two thumbs up."
Liberal dreams and nature's limits: great cities of North America since 1600