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line of gab

line of gab

8.1
Smooth talk used to convince people, often by salespeople
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : charlas persuasivas
  • The salesman had a line of gab that was hard to resist.

Examples

  • Don't fall for his line of gab about the investment!

  • She wasn’t fooled by his smooth line of gab and asked for more details.

  • He tried every line of gab he knew, but I still said no.

  • He always has a line of gab ready for potential clients.

  • The salesman had a line of gab that was hard to resist during his pitch.

  • She wasn’t fooled by his smooth line of gab and asked for more details about the product.

  • Don't fall for his convincing line of gab about the urgency of buying now.

Synonyms

line
vsline of gab
  • Informal
279 8.0

A prepared phrase used to try to impress someone

is persuasive speech often aiming to convince rather than simply deceive
sales pitch
vsline of gab
26 3.2

A short talk to convince someone to buy something

is broader persuasive talk used beyond formal product presentations
spiel
vsline of gab
  • Informal
18 7.9

A long talk that tries to convince people to buy something

is shorter or more naturally persuasive rather than long and glib
patter
vsline of gab
5 7.4

Fast smooth talk used by salespeople to persuade people

is persuasive talk that may be slower or more plausible
sweet talk
vsline of gab
  • Informal
3 4.3

Flattering words that try to persuade someone but are not sincere

is commercial persuasive speech aimed at convincing about products rather than emotions
palaver
vsline of gab
  • Informal
2 8.8

A lot of talk that sounds important but says nothing

is typically focused persuasive speech used to influence decisions
sales talk
vsline of gab
1 3.0

Speech that tries to make someone buy something

is general persuasive talk not limited to product detail emphasis
salesy pitch
vsline of gab
  • Informal
7.9

A message that tries too hard to get you to buy something

is more plausible persuasive speech rather than overtly pushy selling

Antonyms

1.0

A fact that shows how things really are

365 1.0

Being truthful and fair in what you say and do

How Persuasive

hard sell
  • Informal
15 5.3
sales pitch
26 3.2
line of gab
  • Informal
8.1
small talk
  • Informal
65 2.1
idle talk
1 5.8

Surface Forms

line of gab singular
lines of gab plural

Morphology

line + of + gab

The meaning 'persuasive or plausible talk' is directly derivable from combining 'line' (a practiced or persuasive set of words) with 'gab' (talk or chatter); the pattern 'line of X' commonly denotes a ready-made set of words aimed at producing an effect. This composition follows ordinary English semantics, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings should be able to infer the MWE's sense.

Etymology

Line of gab comes from the idea of a practiced set of words: a line is a set of prepared words and gab means chat or talk. That's why it means 'persuasive or smooth talk'.