the.com/tap dance

means To improvise a smooth, nimble way of avoiding a hard question or sticky situation, usually through charm, deflection, or quick talk — as in 'he had to tap dance around the accusation.'

from Literally, a dance style where metal-tipped shoes click out rhythm on a hard floor — it grew up in the 1800s and early 1900s from a mix of African percussive dance traditions, Irish and English clog/step dancing, brought together (often on minstrel and vaudeville stages) into the sharp, syncopated footwork we now picture. The figurative sense — fast-talking your way out of trouble — borrows the image directly: someone 'tap dancing' through an awkward interview is doing verbal footwork, light and quick, never letting their weight settle anywhere long enough to get pinned down.