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Processed with VS1Talk about being undecided—and notice when calling someone a “fence-sitter” becomes an insult.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptTo sit on the fence is to remain undecided between options. A “fence-sitter” can mean someone who habitually avoids taking a position, but the label is often critical; simply needing time to decide does not make someone a fence-sitter.
Cultural note: Calling a person a “fence-sitter” can sound insulting because it suggests a repeated unwillingness to take a stand. “I’m on the fence about it” is a much more neutral way to describe your own uncertainty.
Keep exploringA fence divides two sides. That image can describe uncertainty—but turning the phrase into a label for a person adds judgment.
Phrase guide · 4 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe a temporary lack of preference between options.
Meaning
Be undecided between choices or sides.
Tone & use
A neutral everyday way to say you have not made up your mind yet. It often takes “about,” “between,” or “over.”
Example
“I’m still on the fence about whether to take the evening class or study online.”
Recognize when a neutral-sounding image becomes a criticism.
Meaning
A person who habitually avoids choosing a side or taking a position.
Tone & use
Often critical or insulting. Do not use it for someone who simply needs more time or is thoughtfully weighing options.
Example
“After months of refusing to share any view, the columnist was criticized as a fence-sitter.”
Meaning
As a verb, sell stolen goods; as a noun, a person who does this.
Tone & use
A specialized criminal-law meaning, unrelated to the idiom about being undecided.
Example
“The detective learned that the dealer had been fencing stolen bicycles.”
Understand the separate saying about boundaries and neighbors.
Meaning
Clear boundaries can help neighbors live peacefully.
Tone & use
A proverb popularized in part through Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.” It is separate from being undecided “on the fence.”
Example
“The neighbors agreed on where the shared garden ended; as the saying goes, fences make good neighbors.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
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