mince matters

Idioms  

1. Also, mince words. Moderate or restrain one's language to be polite or avoid giving offense. Today these phrases are nearly always put negatively, as in Not to mince matters, I feel he should resign, or Don't mince words—say what you mean. The usage dates from the mid-1500s and transfers cutting something such as meat into small pieces to minimizing the harsh impact of words.

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Example Sentences

Yes; these purveyors to the world's taste don't mince matters with their journeymen.

From The Bramleighs of Bishop's Folly by Lever, Charles James

The men who made this brave report did not mince matters.

From Following the Color Line an account of Negro citizenship in the American democracy by Grayson, David

It is not my habit to mince matters.

From Held by Chinese Brigands by Strang, Herbert

And that hall porter didn't mince matters either.

From The Heart of a Woman by Orczy, Emmuska Orczy, Baroness

It seems that when he was angry the Maréchal didn't mince matters, and used most emphatic expressions.

From Letters of a Diplomat's Wife 1883-1900 by Waddington, Mary King