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kill with kindness

heaping generosity, compassion, or excessive favor on someone -usually in response to an insult- to bring them discomfort; to overwhelm with overindulgence

Etymology:

  • Shakespearean idiom which sprang up to describe the phenomenon, noticed around the 15th century, of female chimpanzees showing particularly attentive behavior toward their young (cuddling their infants too closely which sometimes led to injury or smothering of the infants) that was seen as killing with excess love and affection.
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The supermarket cashier saw his share of rudeness from customers and rather than admonishing them, he chose to go another route and kill them with kindness.

Submitted by JokerGem on January 21, 2023

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    "kill with kindness." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/kill-with-kindness_63290>.

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