in a feeble attempt to silence jeers; just try to explain things away when ridiculed; manage some how to relieve oneself of embarrassment
? 他故作鎮(zhèn)靜，講了一個(gè)笑話，～。He put on a composed air and told a joke in a feeble attempt to silence jeers.
聊以解嘲liáo yǐ jiě cháo
解：解除；嘲：嘲笑。姑且用言行來消除所受的嘲諷。manage somehow to relieve embarrassment, in a feeble attempt to silence jeers, say or do sth. in order to avoid mockery