This phrase derives directly from the act of spreading butter on bread or any other edible substance to make it soft and tastier so that the person eating it gets more satisfaction from it. So this came to represent spreading nice things about someone just so you could get something in return.

What does butter me up mean in slang?

To praise or flatter someone excessively: “Percy was always buttering up the boss, so he was surprised when he failed to get a promotion.”

Is butter someone up idiom?

to be very kind or friendly to someone or try to please someone, so that that person will do what you want them to do: You'll have to butter them up a bit before they'll agree.

Is buttering someone up bad?

Buttering up is unethical if you harm someone.

How do you butter someone up?

to please someone, esp. by praising that person in order to get him or her to agree to something: A company wishing to influence the government must butter up both parties in the House and the Senate.

Butter someone up - Learn English with phrases from TV series - AsEasyAsPIE

29 related questions found

What is a butter personality?

Butter is a food spread, but if you mean “bitter” it means someone who is resentful, hurt, or mad. See a translation.

What is the meaning of the idiom bring home the bacon?

: to earn the money that is needed to live He worked hard all week to bring home the bacon for his family.

What does it mean to butter someone's nose?

A buttered nose is supposed to help children to slip away from bad luck. Lore has it that this tradition began in Scotland and carried into Eastern Canada. Even better than a buttered nose is a fortune cake, sometimes called a money cake.

Why do people put butter on your nose for your birthday?

1. Canada: Nose Grease. On the Atlantic side of Canada, birthday boys and girls are sometimes “ambushed” and their noses are greased, usually with butter, to ward off bad luck. A friend who lives in Pictou told this writer that “The butter got worse as you got older.

How do Irish celebrate birthdays?

Irish Birthdays are Packed With Traditions

As in many other countries, an Irish birthday is celebrated with a gathering of family and friends. Traditional Irish foods, drinks, singing, and dancing are all part of the festivities. One unusual Irish tradition is "bumping" the birthday child.

What is a button nose?

A button nose is described as a rounded nasal tip and a small nose that may turn up or down slightly, causing your nose to look rounded.

What does cat got your tongue?

Definition of cat got your tongue

—used to ask someone why he or she is not saying anything "You've been unusually quiet tonight," she said.

Where did the saying chew the fat come from?

The pork was a sign of wealth and that a man could really "bring home the bacon". They would cut off a little to share with guests and they would all sit around and "chew the fat". So, eventually, someone realised the rhyming connection between fat and chat - hence the term.

What is the meaning of idiom a red letter day?

red-letter day. A special occasion, as in When Jack comes home from his tour of duty, that'll be a red-letter day. This term alludes to the practice of marking feast days and other holy days in red on church calendars, dating from the 1400s. [ c. 1700]

What does butter mean in slang Korean?

Butter is a slang word in korean meaning 'too american' in the context of SK musicians doing music with Western influence and with authenticity instead thus going against the kpop industry mentality.

What does it mean to call someone a butter?

(Britain, slang) Unattractive, ugly or repulsive.

What is the origin of close but no cigar?

The expression, “Close, but no cigar” means that a person fell slightly short of a successful outcome and therefore gets no reward. ... The phrase most likely originated in the 1920s when fairs, or carnivals, would hand out cigars as prizes. At that time, the games were targeted towards adults, not kids.

What is the meaning thick as thieves?

: very close and secretive They were (as) thick as thieves for weeks, which made us wonder what they were doing.

What does it mean when an actor chews the scenery?

Chew (up the) scenery means 'to act melodramatically; overact'. Usually, it's in the context of a play or movie, but it can refer to an aunt of yours who is a frustrated actress. ... A TV chef could also chew the scenery without apology, especially if he was hamming it up with a glazed ham.

Where does kick the bucket come from?

The term is known to date from at least the 16th century. The more interesting (and probably apochryphal) origin relates to suicides who would stand on a large bucket with noose around the neck and, at the moment of their choosing, would kick away the bucket.

What does cut to the bone mean?

: reduced to the lowest possible amount The company's expenses had been cut to the bone.

What does the idiom cold feet mean?

: apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.

What is the most attractive male nose?

Men with “ski-slope” noses are regarded as more attractive and youthful than men with convex ones, according to a survey published in a cosmetic surgery journal.

What is a piggy nose?

An upturned nose is one with a tip that's angled upward. ... Upturned noses are sometimes referred to as “pixie noses” or “piggy noses.” Whatever you call it, an upturned nose is like any other facial feature.