1
general::
Phrase(s): soft-pedal something
to play something down; to deemphasize something. (Alludes to the soft pedal on the piano, which reduces the volume.) • Try to soft-pedal the problems we have with the cooling system. • I won’t softpedal anything. Everyone must know the truth.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation. This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound. It gave rise to the verb soft-pedal, meaning both "reduce the volume of" or "make less emphatic, downplay." [Early 1900s]
American Heritage Idioms