soft-soap

alternative soft soap · alternative softsoap

1. idiomaticuncountablePersuasion by means of flattery or pleasing words.

   And look here, my dear, don't let them get round you with soft soap either.

   1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train

   2 more examples

   If it ‘adn’t a-been for your soft soap I’d a-got my forty quid out o’ the old devil months ago.

   1937, Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman's Honeymoon

   Bond grinned again as he thought of Damon's exasperation at having to dish out a lot of soft soap to Washington when he probably had plenty of other Anglo-American snarls to disentangle.

   1954, Ian Fleming, “True or False?”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 89

present singular third person soft-soaps · participle present soft-soaping · participle past soft-soaped · past soft-soaped · alternative soft soap · alternative softsoap

1. idiomaticinformaltransitiveTo attempt to persuade by flattery or pleasing words; to butter up.

   Synonyms: cajole, inveigle, wheedle, blandander, blandish, butter up, cajole, sweeten