Blarney \Blar"ney\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blarneyed (-n[i^]d);
p. pr. & vb. n. Blarneying.]
To influence by blarney; to wheedle with smooth talk; to make
or accomplish by blarney. "Blarneyed the landlord." --Irving.
[1913 Webster]
Had blarneyed his way from Long Island. --S. G.
Goodrich.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
blarney \blar"ney\ (bl[aum]r"n[y^]), n. [Blarney, a village and
castle near Cork in Ireland.]
Smooth, wheedling talk; flattery. [Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
Blarney stone, a stone in Blarney castle, Ireland (built in
1446), said to make those who kiss it proficient in the
use of blarney.
Note: The origin of the stone is uncertain. In order to kiss
the Blarney stone, which is located in the side of the
castle, one must be held upside-down by the feet and
lowered into the proper position from an opening in an
overhang in the parapet. It is an experience eschewed
by some tourists.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
blarney
n : flattery designed to gain favor [syn: coaxing, soft soap,
sweet talk]
v : influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or
flattering; "He palavered her into going along" [syn: wheedle,
cajole, palaver, coax, sweet-talk, inveigle]
WordNet (r) 2.0
32 Moby Thesaurus words for "blarney":
adulation, banter, blandish, blandishment, bunkum, cajole,
cajolement, cajolery, compliment, con, eyewash, fair words,
fawning, flattery, grease, honeyed phrases, honeyed words, incense,
oil, palaver, praise, pretty lies, soap, soft soap, soft-soap,
sweet nothings, sweet talk, sweet words, sweet-talk, sycophancy,
wheedle, wheedling
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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