sweet talk

¹ American  

noun

Informal.

1. cajolery; soft soap.

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sweet-talk ² American  

[sweet-tawk] / ˈswitˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to use cajoling words.

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verb (used with object)

1. to use cajoling words on in order to persuade; soft-soap.

   They tried to sweet-talk the boss into giving them raises.

sweet-talk British  

verb

1. to coax, flatter, or cajole (someone)

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noun

1. cajolery; coaxing

sweet talk Idioms  

1. Flattery, cajolery, as in She uses sweet talk to get her way. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of sweet talk¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of sweet-talk²

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Realtor Liz Jones said some agents continue to encourage the practice, putting buyers in a tough position if they’d rather leave out the sweet talk.

From Seattle Times • May 12, 2022

They can sweet talk you, and then you're backsliding.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2019

‘My technique and skill combined with Kaiser’s sweet talk? Oh my God. I really want to meet this kid. He’s going to be Superman.”

From The Guardian • Jul. 27, 2018

Eve is Villanelle’s type—it’s the hair—but perhaps it’s also a certain shared brusqueness, the way that Eve can’t flirt or sweet talk anyone she’s not actually interested in, even if it would be useful.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2018

This was followed by a lot of sweet talk, which luckily Mother didn’t fall for this time.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank