soften someone's cough

== English == === Verb === soften someone's cough (third-person singular simple present softens someone's cough, present participle softening someone's cough, simple past and past participle softened someone's cough) (Ireland) (idiomatic) To completely negate or undermine someone's argument or position on a topic. (idiomatic) To humble or humiliate; put someone in his place. To ease or sooth someone's cough.