At the meeting, the leader looked around and talked of other things, dodging responsibility.
Tips
history
From Mencius 《孟子·梁惠王下》: when Mencius asked King Xuan of Qi three increasingly pointed questions about his duty to his people, the king ‘顾左右而言他’ — looked at his attendants and changed the subject. Xinhua 成语词典 glosses it as 离开话题，回避难以答复的问题.
usage
Sometimes cited without 王 (just 顾左右而言他). Used in political reporting, courtrooms, and everyday arguments when someone dodges a direct question.
