soft sawder

noun

Etymology

Phonetic spelling of soft solder; that is, solder that melts at a lower temperature. Coined by Thomas Haliburton in the short story "The Trotting Horse" (1836). Popular in the 19th century, but out of common use by 1950.

Definitions

  1. Cajoling or flattery.

    • 1836, Thomas Haliburton, "The Trotting Horse" (1836) — first usage If she goes to act ugly, I'll give her a dose of "soft sawder"; that will take the frown out of her frontispiece...!
    • A sorrowful spectacle to men of reflection, during the time he lasted, that poor M. de Lamartine; with nothing in him but melodious wind and soft sawder, which he and others took for something divine and not diabolic!
    • How the old boy swallowed my soft sawder and Brummagem notes!

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for soft sawder. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA