talk down
verb1
Idiomatic To negotiate a lower price.
- If he offers a very high price, see if you can talk him down before you agree to anything.
2
Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aviation, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Of ground control To verbally assist someone to land an aircraft.
- GET TALKED DOWN: When a pilot gets caught in weather, he may call the nearest tower for Ground Controlled Approach landing assistance, wherever the airport has GCA radar.1960 Feb, “Business with FAA”, in Flying Magazine, page 109:
- He got out, looked at me, and said, “I feel like Doris Day in Julie when she was talked down by air traffic control and landed the airplane.”[.]2000, Larry King, Anything Goes!: What I've Learned from Pundits, Politicians, and Presidents, →ISBN, page 139:
2 more examples
- Its Spielberg-inspired first commercial, in which Manhattan Island floated loftily through the sky and was talked down by air traffic control at Heathrow[.]2008, Winston Fletcher, Powers of Persuasion: The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000, →ISBN:
- In other words, if you talk him down and he crashes, you're worse off than if you hadn't tried.2008, Nelson DeMille, Thomas Block, Mayday, →ISBN:
3
To convince a person to cease a drastic action or response, such as a suicide attempt or act of rage.
- Talk him down, the rule book went. Calm him, get him secured. Easier said than done. Crane had talked down a would-be jumper standing on a support cable of the George Washington Bridge.2007, Lincoln Child, Deep Storm:
- And that guy that talked him down told us what happen^([sic]). It's kidnapping, attempted assault.(Can we date this quote?), CJ Raines, Shelby: A Great Love:
1 more example
- I saw a man today / He led a big parade downtown / A helicopter takes a snapshot to talk him down2018, “Living In Hell”, performed by Cobra Man:
4
To overcome by spoken argument.
5
Slang To comfort someone experiencing a bad trip, to help them come down.
- They may then go to a hippie clinic crash pad to be "talked down."1969, American Journal of Psychiatry, volume 125, number 4, page 154:
- Related terms
- talk down to