Word Study
blarney
CIDE DICTIONARY
blarney, n. [Blarney , a village and castle near Cork in Ireland.].
Smooth, wheedling talk; flattery. [1913 Webster]
"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]
blarney, v. t.
To influence by blarney; to wheedle with smooth talk; to make or accomplish by blarney. Irving. [1913 Webster]
"Had blarneyed his way from Long Island." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
blarney, n. & v.
--n.
1 cajoling talk; flattery.
2 nonsense.
--v. (-eys, -eyed)
1 tr. flatter (a person) with blarney.
2 intr. talk flatteringly.
--n.
1 cajoling talk; flattery.
2 nonsense.
--v. (-eys, -eyed)
1 tr. flatter (a person) with blarney.
2 intr. talk flatteringly.
Etymology
Blarney, an Irish castle near Cork with a stone said to confer a cajoling tongue on whoever kisses it
THESAURUS
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, wheedlingROGET THESAURUS
blarney
Flattery
N flattery, adulation, gloze, blandishment, blandiloquence, cajolery, fawning, wheedling, captation, coquetry, obsequiousness, sycophancy, flunkeyism, toadeating, tuft- hunting, snobbishness, incense, honeyed words, flummery, bunkum, buncombe, blarney, placebo, butter, soft soap, soft sawder, rose water, voice of the charmer, mouth honor, lip homage, euphemism, unctuousness, flattering, adulatory, mealy-mouthed, honey-mouthed, honeyed, smooth, smooth-tongued, soapy, oily, unctuous, blandiloquent, specious, fine-spoken, fair spoken, plausible, servile, sycophantic, fulsome, courtierly, courtier-like, ad captandum.For further exploring for "blarney" in Webster Dictionary Online