To take in and to send out
To be uncertain what to say when speaking; to be unwilling or hesitant to say something directly
Neutral
他从一个吞吞吐吐、毫不自信的候选人成长为一位流畅的辩手 | Tā cóng yīgè tūntūntǔtǔ, háobù zìxìn de hòuxuǎnrén chéngzhǎng wéi yī wèi liúchàng de biànshǒu
He went from being an unsure candidate without a sign of confidence to a strong debater
[Source]
她对她那件衣服花了多少钱有点吞吞吐吐 | Tā duì tā nà jiàn yīfú huā le duōshǎo qián yǒudiǎn tūntūntǔtǔ
She's a little reluctant to reveal how much she spent on her clothing
[Source]
To hem and haw
None
This is an HSK chengyu
The novel《儿女英雄传》(Ér Nǚ Yīng Xióng Zhuàn), or "The Gallant Maid", by Qing Dynasty (清,1644 - 1911) writer 文康 (Wén Kāng)
This chengyu is from a line in the work listed in the "Origin" section above