soft-soap

• soft soap, softsoap

soft-soap (uncountable)

1. Persuasion by means of flattery or pleasing words.
   • 1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train:

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

   • 1937, Dorothy L. Sayers, Busman's Honeymoon:

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

soft-soap (third-person singular simple present soft-soaps, present participle soft-soaping, simple past and past participle soft-soaped)

1. (informal, idiomatic, transitive) To attempt to persuade by flattery or pleasing words; to butter up.

   Synonyms: cajole, inveigle, wheedle; see also Thesaurus:coax

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