> as lemmas

1850 T. E. Poole Life, Scenery & Customs Sierra Leone & Gambia I. iv. 31 ‘Softly, softly,’ is a pertinent axiom of the black man, when he would imply his opinion that some one was undertaking and carrying on any work too unadvisedly and inconsiderately.

1967 Autocar 28 Dec. 7/1 Softly, softly is our policy too, but not at such expense in time.

1970 Sunday Times 5 July 11 (heading) Ulster: end of ‘softly, softly’.

2001 R. Hill Dialogues of Dead (2002) xlv. 503 Let's talk to Mr Dee again, but softly, softly. No point in putting the boot in till we know what we're kicking.

1944 F. E. Kenchington Commoners' New Forest xvii. 142 It is that ‘primarily’ with which I quarrel, and the ‘softly, softly’ manner in which the ancient life of the soil is edged along courteously into third place.

1961 Irish Times 17 Oct. 6/2 Their colleagues in the Unionist Group, who prefer the ‘softly, softly’ approach, have almost disowned them.

1974 New Scientist 28 Feb. 563/2 Dahrendorf has been following a ‘softly, softly’ policy.

1979 Now! 14 Sept. 53/2 Sadat and Begin..are both adopting a ‘softly-softly’ approach to the Palestinian problem.

1986 New Scientist 31 July 15/1 The ‘softly, softly’ tone of their advice.

2013 Derby Evening Tel. (Nexis) 24 Apr. 15 The softly, softly approach isn't working and the prison sentence is not a strong enough deterrent.