He was snowing hell out of her

[nyota]

Then I watched the phonies for a while. Some guy next to me was snowing hell out of the babe he was with. He kept telling her she had aristocractic hands. That killed me. (The Catcher in the Rye)

I'm guessing 'to snow somebody' means more or less 'to sweet talk' them?

[Gillnetter]

I'm guessing 'to snow somebody' means more or less 'to sweet talk' them?

No, it's more like telling stories that are not true. I could tell you about my gold mine in Alaska but most of it would be a real snow job (I don't have a gold mine after all). It is difficult to see when it is snowing hard and it is difficult to tell the truth when someone is not telling the truth.

[emsr2d2]

For info, I have never heard this in BrE.

[nyota]

For info, I have never heard this in BrE.

So I thought, thanks Ems.

[SoothingDave]

If anything, it should be "snowing the hell out of her." Not "snowing hell."

[nyota]

If anything, it should be "snowing the hell out of her." Not "snowing hell."

Yep, I just went with the book when quoting.

[BobSmith]

Holden says, "Some guy next to me was snowing hell out of the babe he was with. He kept telling her she had aristocratic hands. That killed me." Holden, pardon my French, cuts the crap. - source

.

[Tdol]

AHD defines it as To overwhelm with insincere talk, especially with flattery.
Dictionary - Yahoo! Education

I am not sure that it is the same as a snow job, as that term is said to come from 2006- a reference to the White House spokesman of the time, Tony Snow, who supposedly gave inaccurate and evasive answers.

[5jj]

I am not sure that it is the same as a snow job, as that term is said to come from 2006- a reference to the White House spokesman of the time, Tony Snow, who supposedly gave inaccurate and evasive answers.

I heard that expression for the first time in 1971.

[Tdol]

Can you remember the context? Did it have the same meaning as today? Did Mr Snow merely breathe new life into the phrase.