[f. Blarney, name of a village near Cork. In the castle there is an inscribed stone in a position difficult of access. The popular saying is that any one who kisses this ‘Blarney stone’ will ever after have ‘a cajoling tongue and the art of flattery or of telling lies with unblushing effrontery’ (Lewis, Topog. Dict. Ireland).] Smoothly flattering or cajoling talk. (Colloquial.)
1819. Crabbe, T. of Hall, XX. 378. Bah!—bother—blarney! What is this about?
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 71. With promises and blarney he got credit for all I wanted.
1884. Ruskin, in Pall Mall Gaz., 17 Nov., 11/2. It was bombastic English blarney—not Irish.
