Friday, June 15, 2007

WORD A DAY

WHEEDLE: 1: to influence or entice by soft words or flattery 2: to gain or get by coaxing or flattering

"Wheedle" has been a part of our lexicon since the mid-17th century, though no one is quite sure how the term made its way into English. (It has been suggested that the term may have derived from an Old English word that mean "to beg," but this is far from certain.) Once established, however, "wheedle" became a favorite of some of the language's most illustrious writers. "Wheedle" and related forms appear in the writings of Wordsworth, Dickens, Kipling, Dryden, Swift, Scott, Tennyson, and Pope, among others.
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1 comment:

Paul said...

So can you say "Wheedlery will get you nowhere?"

Actually, this has a vaguely familiar ring - isn't there the expression "to wheedle something (like information) out of someone?" I always thought it meant to trick or coax them, but this would make sense - flattering someone to the point where they talk more than they should.

11:10 AM

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