Mealy-mouthed Definition
mēlē-mouthd, -moutht
adjective
Not willing to state the facts in simple, direct words; euphemistic and insincere.
Webster's New World
Alternative form of mealy-mouthed.
Wiktionary
Prone to speaking evasively, indirectly, or duplicitously; not forthright.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
- mealymouthed
Origin of Mealy-mouthed
Akin to the German expression Mehl im Maule behalten to be indirect in speech (literally, to have meal in the mouth)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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Possibly from German Mehl im Maule behalten via Martin Luther
From Wiktionary
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