roundabout route; circuitous; tortuous; to outflank; indirect; roundabout

unrealistic; pedantic and impractical

pedantic and stubborn

conventional; conservative

stupid; impractical

circuitous; tortuous; roundabout

pedantry

high-sounding and impractical

sluggish; delaying

dilatory; slow in movement; roundabout

pedantic; trite; inflexible; adherence to old ideas

absurd opinion; pedantic and unrealistic view

overcautious; conservative and dull in conversation

unrealistic argument; high flown and impractical opinion

impractical

high sounding and impractical; high flown nonsense

pedant; old fogey

to attack from an unexpected direction

meandering and circuitous (idiom); complicated developments that never get anywhere; going around in circles