gild the pill

gild the pill

To make something unpleasant seem appealing. I knew that my daughter was not going to be happy to go the doctor, so I gilded the pill by reminding her about all the toys that are in the office.
See also: gild, pill
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • come to a bad end
  • come to a bad/sticky end
  • have no stomach for something
  • have the stomach for
  • be tainted by (something)
  • not put (one's) finger on (something)
  • not put your finger on something
  • be in for
  • be in for something
  • have no stomach for (something)
References in periodicals archive
The rest of the list consisted of the kind of bromides politicians often use to gild the pill.
The new government and savings