脇道

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 脇道 is read as わきみち and can mean “side road” or “digression”, depending on context.
• Basic usage: The examples show a side road used to avoid traffic and a conversation straying from its main topic.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distinguishing senses and uses
  • It literally means a side road; in 話が脇道にそれる, it figuratively means going off topic.