soft-pedal

Meaning

Verb

• To attempt to persuade without being obvious about it, by understating a position so the listener takes the good points as obvious.
• To tone down, damp, mute or obscure something; to proceed in a less forceful, circumspect or subdued manner.

Origin

• By analogy to use of the left-hand pedal on a piano which is used to dampen the strings, making notes duller or softer.