Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Smooth, flattering talk.
- noun Deceptive nonsense.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Exceedingly complimentary language; flattery; smooth, wheedling talk; pleasing cajolery.
- To talk over or beguile by wheedling speeches; flatter; humbug with agreeable talk.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun colloq. Smooth, wheedling talk; flattery.
- noun a stone in Blarney castle, Ireland (built in 1446), said to make those who kiss it proficient in the use of blarney.
- transitive verb To influence by blarney; to wheedle with smooth talk; to make or accomplish by blarney.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Ability to
talk constantly . - noun Mindless
chatter . - noun Persuasive
flattery or kind speech. The ability to tell a man to go to hell, in such a way as he will look forward to the trip. - verb To
beguile withflattery .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun flattery designed to gain favor
- verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Usually the expression blarney is applied to flattery designed to gain a favor.
Blarney Stone 2002
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No doubt his blarney was a source of inspiration for me.
Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006
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No doubt his blarney was a source of inspiration for me.
Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006
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No doubt his blarney was a source of inspiration for me.
Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006
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No doubt his blarney was a source of inspiration for me.
Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006
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Yankee-Gentile and Jew, and his blarney was a commodity that stood him in good stead.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 11 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Businessmen Elbert Hubbard 1885
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Anything would have been better than the echoes of the sprightliness at the lower end of the table, where Ulick was talking what he would have called blarney to Miss Susan Northover and Miss Mary Anne
The Young Step-Mother Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862
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At least one Irish blogger, Suzy Byrne, stepped forward to call blarney on that:
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 2008
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At least one Irish blogger, Suzy Byrne, stepped forward to call blarney on that:
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 2008
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The Irish have a perfect word to describe what's happening in Ulster - 'blarney'.
hernesheir commented on the word blarney
A hard Irish cows' milk cheese similar to the Danish Samso.
January 20, 2009
hernesheir commented on the word blarney
Cf. division (comments), gift of gab, blarney.
October 2, 2009