Meaning & use
talk off the ledge
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Meanings
phraseidiominformalfigurative
To calm a person who is extremely upset or about to do something rash, using words to persuade them to step back.
Grammar: Needs an object between talk and off: talk him off the ledge.
Patterns
- talk someone off the ledge
My sister talked me off the ledge when I wanted to quit my job after one bad day.
Can you talk him off the ledge before he emails the whole company?
It took an hour on the phone to talk her off the ledge about the wedding plans.
phraseidiom
To persuade someone literally standing on a high ledge not to jump, and bring them to safety.
Grammar: Same frame, but meant literally: the negotiator talked him off the ledge.
Patterns
- talk someone off the ledge
The crisis negotiator talked the man off the ledge after two tense hours.
A passer-by calmly talked her off the ledge until the fire crew arrived.
Training teaches officers how to talk someone off the ledge safely.
Word forms
| third person singular | talks off the ledge |
|---|---|
| past tense | talked off the ledge |
| past participle | talked off the ledge |
| -ing form | talking off the ledge |
Common combinations
- talk someone off the ledge
- She always knows how to talk me off the ledge.
- help talk off the ledge
- A calm friend can help talk you off the ledge.
- try to talk him off the ledge
- We tried to talk him off the ledge before the vote.
- need someone to talk me off the ledge
- I need someone to talk me off the ledge before I buy that car.
Synonyms and how they differ
- calm down
- Calm down is the plain, neutral phrase and lacks the sense of rescuing someone from a rash step.
- talk down
- Talk down is often used for negotiators persuading an armed or desperate person to surrender or stand down.
- reassure
- Reassure is gentler and formal, with no suggestion of an emergency.
Opposites
Word family
- ledge noun
- a narrow flat shelf sticking out from a wall or cliff
- talk down verb
- to persuade someone to come away from danger or surrender
- talk round verb
- to persuade someone to change their mind
Commonly confused: talk off the ledge or talk down to?
talk off the ledge vs talk down to
Talk down to someone means speak in a patronizing way, which is the opposite of helpful.
Practice
Maya panicked before her presentation, so her friend had to ___ her.
Choose one answer.
Talk someone off the ledge means to calm them when they are very upset. The other phrases are not established idioms with that meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “talk off the ledge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.