rabbit trail

noun — 3 senses

rabbit trail

noun

Etymology Rabbits defy predators by running in circles.

1

Appalachia, Midwestern US, Southern US, Slang A non-urban area that is challenging to traverse for non-local people.

2

Appalachia, Midwestern US, Southern US, Slang A convoluted discourse or tangential aside.

Near-synonym: rabbit hole

3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rabbit, trail.

Related terms: backwoods, thicket, JAQing off, sealioning, merry dance

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.