U want to borrow some money from a friend. Is it better to start by commending them for their kindness first and then putting the problem to them as tactfully as you can and asking them for a loan? Wouldn't it be more effective to get down to brass tacks?
to breathe out slowly and noisily, expressing tiredness, sadness, pleasure, etc.:
When James Bond is involved in a shooting incident he can shake off all the negative feelings, smile and make jokes. Can everybody deal with dramatic incidents in this way?
a small tube containing an explosive substance and a bullet for use in a gun
In order to quell a riot poice sometimes use water cannon, fire tear gas into the crowd or even open fire on the demonstrators often shooting with blank cartridges or rubber bullets.
to show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts:
the way in which you are treated and educated when young, especially by your parents, especially in relation to the effect that this has on how you behave and make moral decisions: