phrase
An Offer He Can't Refuse
A 'choice' presented in a way that ensures only one outcome.
Origin
From The Godfather (1972). Vito Corleone explains how he persuaded a bandleader to release a young Johnny Fontane from his contract: 'I made him an offer he couldn't refuse' โ meaning his lawyer held a gun to the bandleader's head while the contract was signed. The line is one of the most quoted in American film.
Modern usage
Used in business and politics for any coercive 'offer'. Sometimes self-aware (a tongue-in-cheek wink at coercion), often not.
Tags
coercion
negotiation
godfather