Meaning of 調子よい


Maruko's grandad just agreed to do something but then discovered that it might
be unpleasant. The narrator says:

> まる子の手前、 **調子よく**
> 、へのかっぱなどと言ってしまったものの、キモチ悪いときいたとたん、（本当はいやじゃよォォ。そんなキモチ悪いモンを見るのは、わしだってごめんじゃ～～。...）という気持ちになっていた。  
>  _From_ Maruko's viewpoint ??? even though he'd said it was a piece of cake,
> as soon as he heard that it was gross he gave the feeling of "...sorry but
> even I don't want to look at such gross things ... _etc_ ).

I can't understand the meaning of 調子よく here. I tried to translate the start as
"From Maruko's viewpoint his condition was good and ...", but that seems to
contradict the rest of the sentence.




まる子の手前 means "because Maruko is in front of me.". 調子よい(調子いい) has the meaning
of "unctuous". So 彼は、まる子の手前、調子よく、へのかっぱと言った is translated as "He unctuously
said it was a piece of cake because Maruko was in front of him."




まる子の手前 means "because Maruko is in front of me.". 調子よい(調子いい) has the meaning
of "unctuous". So 彼は、まる子の手前、調子よく、へのかっぱと言った is translated as "He unctuously
said it was a piece of cake because Maruko was in front of him."

