Mince

MINCE, verb transitive mins. [Latin minuo, to diminish; Latin minor, smaller; minuo, to diminish; Gr. small, slender; to diminish; Latin minutus, minute.

1. To cut or chop into very small pieces; as, to mince meat.

2. To diminish in speaking; to retrench, cut off or omit a part for the purpose of suppressing the truth; to extenuate in representation.

I know no way to mince it in love, but to say directly, I love you.

Siren, now mince the sin,

And mollify damnation with a phrase--