beat sweetener
n.— «The New Yorker says White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is “a political John McEnroe, known for both his mercurial temperament and his tactical brilliance,” yet is also uncommonly indifferent to both criticism and praise. Welcome to the “beat sweetener.” In the early days of any administration, reporters reach out to the men and women who might become their sources over the next four years—then slather them with glowing profiles suitable for framing in their mothers” bedrooms.» —“How media sucks up to White House” by Michael Calderone Politico Mar. 3, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
When there’s no evening meal planned at home, what do you call that scramble to cobble together your own dinner? Some people apply acronyms like YOYO — “you’re on your own” — or CORN, for “Clean Out your Refrigerator...
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm...