skräda orden

Swedish

Etymology

From dated skräda (“remove unwanted parts of”) + orden (“one's words”).

Verb

skräda orden (present skräder orden, preterite skrädde orden, supine skrätt orden, imperative skräd orden)

1. (idiomatic, chiefly in the negative) to mince words (express oneself carefully or diplomatically, to avoid saying anything which may be considered harmful, disrespectful, or the like, no matter how true)

   Hon brukar inte skräda orden

   She's usually not one to mince words

Usage notes

Usually used in the negative sense, "att inte skräda orden", i.e. to be frank and outspoken, not afraid of hurting other people's feelings.

See also

• ord och inga visor

References

• ord in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• skräda in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• skräda in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)