washy

be wishy-washy

1. informal To be irresolute, indecisive, or wavering. Right now is not the time to be wishy-washy about this. We need to act, and now! Martha is always so wishy-washy when I ask her to make a decision about the project.
2. informal To be spineless, weak-willed, or ineffectual. To lack courage, resilience, or strength of character. He always talks big when we're on our own, but he's totally wishy-washy whenever the boss calls him up on something. The senator was elected for his strength and determination, but he's proven to be very wishy-washy in office.
3. informal To be weak, watery, or thin. I don't know why you drink beer that's so wishy-washy. Why not get something with a bit more kick to it—something you can actually taste? The soup was wishy-washy and the steak was as tough as leather. I certainly won't be going back to that restaurant any time soon.

wishy-washy

1. informal Irresolute, indecisive, or wavering. Right now is not the time to be wishy-washy about this. We need to act, and now! Martha always gets so wishy-washy when I ask her to make a decision about the project.
2. informal Spineless, weak-willed, or ineffectual; lacking courage, resilience, or strength of character. He always talks big when we're on our own, but he turns into a wishy-washy wimp whenever the boss calls him up on something. The senator was elected for his strength and determination, but he's proven to be very wishy-washy in office.
3. informal Weak, watery, or thin. I don't know why you drink this wishy-washy beer. Why not get something with a bit more kick to it, something you can actually taste? The soup was wishy-washy and the steak was as tough as leather. I certainly won't be going back there any time soon.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wishy-washy

(ˈwɪʃiˈwɑʃi)
mod. indecisive; insipid; weak. Don’t be such a wishy-washy wimp.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • be wishy-washy
  • wishy
  • wishy-washy
  • on and off
  • off again, on again
  • on again
  • on again, off again
  • have half a notion to (do something)
  • have half a notion to do
  • notion
References in periodicals archive
The gas company made an application to disconnect the commercial gas supply through Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court, and Wishy Washy was cut off.
TV documentary stars reveal how lives were left in tatters after BBC series; Karen Wakefield and Paul Dawson shot to fame after their Wishy Washy laundrette featured on the BBC's 'People Like Us'
Though they are devastated by the loss of Wishy Washy, it is clear that it was their vivacious personalities - and not their run-down launderette - that made them the much-loved (and much-loathed) characters on our televisions.
How it all went so wrong for the stars of People Like Us... Karen Wakefield and Paul Dawson shot to fame after their laundrette featured on a TV documentary - but since the cameras stopped their life has not been plain sailing
Aussie Jason Gardiner didn't realise how popular panto is over here John Evans as Wishy Washy and Jason Gardiner as the evil Abanazar at Venue Cymru
Born to be-bad; ICE STAR VILLAIN MAKES PANTO DEBUT IN N.WALES
It's a terribly evocative term, wishy- washy - one that manages to be mean- ingless but convey an impression that is familiar, particularly in a region where consensus rules.
perspective-- Wishy-washy is the land of compromise
In fact, there isn't another country who would do that which speaks volumes for our pathetic, wishy washy, hand-wringing politicians.
Flying the flag; Mailbag
Murphy paints these mostly small images with a kind of washy and monochromatic indifference that purposefully eschews things like meticulousness and verisimilitude for a brushy and detached casualness that can at first lull one into seeing these images as trivial.
Ciaran Murphy: Kavi Gupta Gallery
Aladdin, the genie, the magic lamp and the wicked uncle (and Widow Twanky and Wishy Washy) - all on stage ...
A little holiday magic
Right, Mayor Judith Clarke with Wishy Washy from Aladdin and Father Christmas
Lighting up for Christmas
Lead single City Lights and album closer Bad Things are not bad summer tunes, but the rest are wishy washy and all sound very similar.
THE GHOST War Kids (Sunday [...]; music by Christina Savvas, Jack Daniels & Paul Cole
As much as Lozek's washy, wavy areas of paint define distressed surfaces, they also suggest atmospheric voids, as if the walls and ceiling were windows onto luminous, ethereal netherworlds, or screens onto which the young men, lost in thought, project their states of mind.
Jorg Lozek: Sandroni Rey
Surviving on a drip-feed of humour and romance, the wishy washy characters are thankfully drowned in a tsunami of Avatarquality visuals which bring giant armoured sea creatures to vivid life for an epic finale.
MAKING A SPLASH: Momoa stars [...]
Deputy boss of Cotton Tails day nursery in Northfield, Beth played Wishy Washy in the group's version of Aladdin, staged at Cornbrow Hall, Halesowen.
Beth takes honour at Startime; yours Pages featuring the pictures and stories that YOU
Herod was the baddie and the dames were the innkeeper's wife and her sister Wishy Washy.
Nativity is final frontier
Paint or no paint, however, the show was emphatically titled "Paintings," and Jensen's use of found materials, his low-key, washy palette, and his attempts to downplay his own role in the creative process all have a painterly pedigree: One might cite Michael Krebber, Rosemarie Trockel, Richard Tuttle, Blinky Palermo, or Sigmar Polke as precedents.
Sergej Jensen: Anton Kern Gallery
A drama group says it has the perfect pick-me-up for those feeling wishy washy after over-indulging at Christmas.
Our panto pick-me-up