Mealy-mouthness

Mealy-mouthed Meal"y-mouthed`, a. Using soft words; not straightforward; plausible; affectedly or timidly delicate of speech; speaking deviously; unwilling to tell the truth in plain language. Opposite of {frank} or {blunt}. ``Mealy-mouthed philanthropies.'' --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

She was a fool to be mealy-mouthed where nature speaks so plain. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster] -- {Meal"y-mouth`ness}, n. [1913 Webster]