Word to the Wise: Blandishment

"Blandishment" (BLAN-dish-munt) is speech or action that flatters and tends to coax, entice, or persuade. From the Latin for "mild," the word is often used in the plural.

Example (as used by Richard Stengel in You’re Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery: "Perfect, gentle reader: I will not begin this book with a tribute to your discernment, because a person of your obvious accomplishments would certainly be immune to such blandishments."

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