The word of the day is blandishment, which refers to nice things said or done to convince someone to do something. Blandishment is typically used in the plural form, as seen in the example sentence about a dressing room attendant trying to persuade customers to overspend. The word can be used in various contexts, such as politics, where a person may be immune to the blandishments of certain groups. In the example from The Los Angeles Times, a politician's wealth makes him resistant to the blandishments of plutocrats and corporate interests. The word blandishment is also used to describe the character of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back, who uses flattery and gifts to entice the heroes into a trap. Lando's smooth and charming manner is a prime example of blandishment in action. The word was formed from the verb blandish, meaning to coax with flattery, which ultimately comes from the Latin adjective blandus. The Latin adjective blandus means influencing others by flattery, and is also the source of the adjective bland, which can describe things as smooth and soothing. The word blandishment is often used to describe insincere or manipulative attempts to influence someone, and can be seen in various forms of persuasion. Overall, the word blandishment is a useful term for describing the ways in which people try to convince or manipulate others through flattery or other means.