timid and evasive; timid and makeshift
Describes a person who is cowardly and resorts to half-hearted, evasive measures, or an approach that is timid and makeshift. Often used critically.
I'm disgusted by his timid and evasive attitude.
Such a timid and makeshift measure won't solve the problem.
姑息 alone means 'makeshift' or 'stopgap', while 小心姑息 combines it with 小心 (timid) to emphasize a cowardly, evasive quality.
小心 means 'timid' or 'cowardly'; 小心姑息 intensifies this by adding the nuance of evasiveness and half-heartedness.
Compound of 小心 (しょうしん, 'timid') and 姑息 (こそく, 'makeshift, stopgap').