smooth ruffled feathers

smooth (one's) ruffled feathers

To attempt to calm or placate someone who is annoyed, irritated, or upset. I had to go and smooth my parents' ruffled feathers after my husband criticized them at dinner. The company has been in damage-control mode after the disastrous presentation, with the CEO trying to smooth investor's ruffled feathers.
See also: feather, ruffle, smooth
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

smooth (somebody’s) ruffled ˈfeathers

make somebody feel less angry or offended: Her note of apology was meant to smooth ruffled feathers, but it only seemed to make things worse. OPPOSITE: ruffle somebody’s/a few feathers
See also: feather, ruffle, smooth
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • smooth (one's) ruffled feathers
  • smooth (someone's) ruffled feathers
  • smooth someone's ruffled feathers
  • hold with the hare and run with the hounds
  • run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
  • get (one's) nose out of joint
  • get one’s nose out of joint
  • have (got) (one's) nose out of joint
  • nose out of joint, have one's
  • aggro
References in periodicals archive
We need to spend time figuring out how to address this core issue and not continuously smooth ruffled feathers. Pastors need to acknowledge their mistakes but stay focused enough to not take all conflict personally.
Ministry Loves Company: A Survival Guide for Pastors
There was speculation that the Administration would use ex-Secretary of State Jim Baker's debt-moratorium sales mission to smooth ruffled feathers in France, Russia and Germany, angry over being blacklisted for Iraq reconstruction contracts.
Saddam's inglorious end
This way Mr Brown can pre-empt them, and still leave a couple of weeks to smooth ruffled feathers if he overdoes the 'iron Chancellor' bit.
City View: What did you do in the last petrol crisis, mum?
In an attempt to forestall any bad press about its new movie and to smooth ruffled feathers in China, Disney has hired former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as spokesman and goodwill ambassador.
Trotsky's elbow, Albright's hat
Often, the moderator, or Juma, has to intervene to restore order and smooth ruffled feathers. During one particular period, members of Jordan's Royal Family were "flaming", or criticising opinions they did not like, with regularity.
Jordan is talking politics on-line
In some cases, CEOs can smooth ruffled feathers or seek to mediate disputes.
Toppling the cultural tower of Babel
9 follow-up memo that attempted to smooth ruffled feathers. Jay Lucker, director of libraries at MIT, says that while his libraries won't accept documents requiring restricted access, "I'm still concerned about what [OSTI] is not sending me....
FOI may open secret cache of energy data