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soft pedal
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soft pedal
noun
1.
Also called una corda pedal. a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.
2.
Informal. something that restrains or dampens: to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm.
Origin:
1920–25
1920–25
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Soft pedal
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
soft-ped·al
[sawft-ped-l, soft-] verb, soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling. verb (used without object)
1.
to use the soft pedal.
verb (used with object)
2.
to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal.
3.
Informal. to tone or play down; make less strong, as an idea or fact: The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating.
Origin:
1915–20; v. use of noun phrase soft pedal
1915–20; v. use of noun phrase soft pedal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To soft pedal
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
| Main Entry: | soft pedal |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | See damper pedal |
Slang Dictionary
soft pedal (sth) definition
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
soft pedal
Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation. This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound. It gave rise to the verb soft-pedal, meaning both "reduce the volume of" or "make less emphatic, downplay." [Early 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo Rating For Soft pedal
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