charm offensive
a campaign of friendliness
TRANSLATION
charm offensive = die Charmeoffensive --- GOOGLE INDEX charm offensive: approximately 1,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
As Investor Sentiment Improves, Greece Goes On CHARM OFFENSIVE
(Wall Street Journal)
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Yahoo is mounting a major CHARM OFFENSIVE among advertisers with the launch of a major research study into consumer usage of tablet devices.
(MarketingWeek magazine)
(Wall Street Journal)
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Yahoo is mounting a major CHARM OFFENSIVE among advertisers with the launch of a major research study into consumer usage of tablet devices.
(MarketingWeek magazine)
Did you
know?
charm offensive
noun phrase
- a campaign of flattery, friendliness, and cajolement designed to achieve the support or agreement of others
(Oxford English Dictionaries)
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Charm — the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others — stems from the Old French charme meaning "magic charm, magic, spell; incantation, song, lamentation" and further from the Latin carmen, a "song, verse, enchantment or religious formula."
Offensive also has its roots in Latin by way of French and stems from the Middle French offensive and Medieval Latin offensives (to offend, insult). It's interesting to note that offensive has different meanings. In the adjective form, it can refer to making someone feel resentful, upset, or annoyed (His behaviour was very offensive!) or it can mean to be actively aggressive (Offensive operations were launched against the rebels).
In North America it has the additional sense of the team in possession of the ball in sports (He was a highly sought-after offensive guard). When used as a noun, like in the expression "charm offensive," it refers either to an attacking military campaign or an organized and forceful campaign to achieve something, typically a political or social end.
For this reason, some non-native speakers may at first glance interpret charm offensive as something that is insulting as opposed to simply being aggressive.
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SYNONYMS
Note: while no direct noun synonyms exist for this expression, there are several verbs that can convey a similar meaning:
cajole, beguile, captivate, coax, fascinate, lure, persuade, seduce, wile, win-over
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Bill Clinton's charm offensive has saved his political career"
noun phrase
- a campaign of flattery, friendliness, and cajolement designed to achieve the support or agreement of others
(Oxford English Dictionaries)
---
Charm — the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others — stems from the Old French charme meaning "magic charm, magic, spell; incantation, song, lamentation" and further from the Latin carmen, a "song, verse, enchantment or religious formula."
Offensive also has its roots in Latin by way of French and stems from the Middle French offensive and Medieval Latin offensives (to offend, insult). It's interesting to note that offensive has different meanings. In the adjective form, it can refer to making someone feel resentful, upset, or annoyed (His behaviour was very offensive!) or it can mean to be actively aggressive (Offensive operations were launched against the rebels).
In North America it has the additional sense of the team in possession of the ball in sports (He was a highly sought-after offensive guard). When used as a noun, like in the expression "charm offensive," it refers either to an attacking military campaign or an organized and forceful campaign to achieve something, typically a political or social end.
For this reason, some non-native speakers may at first glance interpret charm offensive as something that is insulting as opposed to simply being aggressive.
---
SYNONYMS
Note: while no direct noun synonyms exist for this expression, there are several verbs that can convey a similar meaning:
cajole, beguile, captivate, coax, fascinate, lure, persuade, seduce, wile, win-over
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Bill Clinton's charm offensive has saved his political career"
