To say something unwillingly (reluctantly)/ half-heartedly/ unintelligiblyith a slack tongue
To say something in a weak or hesitant speech. To speak with lack of confidence.
("His wife died and he married another woman - he is not permitted to enter his house to speak with him condolences. They met in the market - he says to him with a slack tongue and heavy head!" - Moed Katan 22b, and also: "And he shall not enter the house of a foreigner on his festival day to give him peace. They met in the market - he gives peace with a slack tongue and heavy head" - Rambam / Sefer Hamada, Laws of Idolatry and Laws of the Nations, Chapter Ten, 5:145, and also: "He says to him upon entering: Good morning, and he answers him with a slack tongue: Blessed is the one who comes, what does the Jew seek?" - Mendel Moes / Masaot Binyamin the Third 9, 62, and also: "He saw me and gave me peace with a slack tongue and asked, what does the master seek from us at such an hour" - Agnon / Ad Hena 115, and also: "He nodded to them with his head and appeared as one who agrees reluctantly and with a slack tongue" - Chaim Sabato / Ke'af'afei Shachar, 109))
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה
Definition (Hebrew)
בְּדִבּוּר חַלָּשׁ אוֹ מְהֻסָּס. בַּאֲמִירָה חַסְרַת בִּטָּחוֹן.
("מֵתָה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְנָשָׂא אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת - אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לִכָּנֵס לְבֵיתוֹ לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ תַּנְחוּמִין. מָצְאוּ בַּשּׁוּק - אוֹמֵר לוֹ בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה וּבְכֹבֶד רֹאשׁ!"- מוֹעֵד קָטָן כא ע"ב, וְכֵן:"וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס לְבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל נָכְרִי בְּיוֹם אֵידוֹ לִתֵּן לוֹ שָׁלוֹם. מְצָאוֹ בַּשּׁוּק- נוֹתֵן שָׁלוֹם בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה וּבְכֹבֶד רֹאשׁ"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ סֵפֶר הַמַּדָּע, הִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְחֻקּוֹת הַגּוֹיִים, פֶּרֶק עֲשִׂירִי, ה,145, וְכֵן:"הוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ: צַפְרָא טָבָא, וְזֶה מְשִׁיבוֹ בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה: בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא,מָה יְהוּדִי מְבַקֵּשׁ?"- מֶנְדֵּלֵי מו"ס/ מַסְּעוֹת בִּנְיָמִין הַשְּׁלִישִׁי ט, סָב, וְכֵן:"רָאָה אוֹתִי וְנָתַן לִי שָׁלוֹם בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה וְשָׁאַל, מָה הָאָדוֹן מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶצְלֵנוּ בְּשָׁעָה כָּזוֹ"- עַגְנוֹן/ עַד הֵנָּה, 115, וְכֵן:"נִעְנַע לָהֶם בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְנִרְאֶה כְּמִי שֶׁמַּסְכִּים בְּדִיעֲבַד וּבְשָׂפָה רָפָה"- חַיִּים סָבָתוֹ/ כְּעַפְעַפֵּי שַׁחַר, 109)