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go/fly off at a tangent

UK (US go off on a tangent)

Definition

to suddenly start talking or thinking about a completely new subject: It's hard to get a firm decision out of him - he's always going off at a tangent.Digressing and being indirect or evasiveMoving in order to avoid contactNot saying much
(Definition of go/fly off at a tangent from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)