softly softly

See also: softly, softly and softly-softly

English

WOTD – 6 May 2012

Alternative forms

• softly-softly
• softly, softly

Etymology

Reduplication of softly. Likely an allusion to softly, softly, catchee monkey or a similar phrase.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Adjective

softly softly (not comparable)

1. (UK, often hyphenated) Discreet, low-key, careful.
   • 2003, Annette Jünemann, Euro-Mediterranean relations after September 11, →ISBN:

     Second, this lack of divergence is also the outcome of the EU's softly-softly approach to human rights and democracy in Morocco.

Synonyms

• diplomatic, understated

Translations

discreet, careful

• Finnish: pehmo- (fi), hyvin varovainen
• Swedish: varsam (sv), försiktig (sv), mjuk (sv)

Adverb

softly softly (not comparable)

1. (UK) In a very tactful, careful, or nondisruptive manner.
   • 2006 April 28, “Royal heads Betfred field”, in RTE Sport, Ireland, retrieved 22 June 2009:

     We couldn't get him back into training before Christmas time because he picked up an injury at the Cheltenham Festival last year and we had to go softly softly.

Synonyms

• gingerly

Translations

in a very tactful, careful manner

• Finnish: hyvin varovasti
• Spanish: muy suavemente
• Swedish: varsamt (sv), försiktigt (sv)

References

• “softly softly”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.