butter someone up
to please someone
TRANSLATION
butter someone up = jmd. Honig ums Maul schmieren --- GOOGLE INDEX butter someone up: approximately 400,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The best way to BUTTER UP Turkey would be to offer it a firm date for the start of its own accession negotiations with the EU.
(BBC News)
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Dairymen, Grocers Seek to BUTTER UP Customers Again
(Los Angeles Times - News Headline)
(BBC News)
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Dairymen, Grocers Seek to BUTTER UP Customers Again
(Los Angeles Times - News Headline)
Did you
know?
butter someone up
idiom
- to be very kind or friendly to someone or try to please them, so that they will do what you want them to do
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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Butter has been used as a metaphor for flattery since the 18th century.
The idea is that by using words we can smooth over our subject in order to persuade them to do what we want. As the old saying goes, "flattery will get you everywhere."
Butter is a versatile food stuff though and can be applied in other idioms:
- someone's bread and butter = someone's basic income; someone's livelihood (Because I work from home my computer is my bread and butter.)
- fine words butter no parsnips = just because someone promises something does not guarantee that he or she will do it (Fred apologised and said he would never do that again, but fine words butter no parsnips.)
- know which side one's bread is buttered on = to be aware of where your money comes from; to be loyal to the person or thing that will benefit you the most (Most people don't criticise their boss. They know which side their bread is buttered on.)
- butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth = to appear cold and unfeeling (He will get the job done for you, but don't expect to be friends because butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.)
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SYNONYMS
boot-lick, brown-nose, court, fawn over, flatter, grovel, suck up to
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Tell him directly what you want. He doesn't like being buttered up."
idiom
- to be very kind or friendly to someone or try to please them, so that they will do what you want them to do
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
Butter has been used as a metaphor for flattery since the 18th century.
The idea is that by using words we can smooth over our subject in order to persuade them to do what we want. As the old saying goes, "flattery will get you everywhere."
Butter is a versatile food stuff though and can be applied in other idioms:
- someone's bread and butter = someone's basic income; someone's livelihood (Because I work from home my computer is my bread and butter.)
- fine words butter no parsnips = just because someone promises something does not guarantee that he or she will do it (Fred apologised and said he would never do that again, but fine words butter no parsnips.)
- know which side one's bread is buttered on = to be aware of where your money comes from; to be loyal to the person or thing that will benefit you the most (Most people don't criticise their boss. They know which side their bread is buttered on.)
- butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth = to appear cold and unfeeling (He will get the job done for you, but don't expect to be friends because butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.)
---
SYNONYMS
boot-lick, brown-nose, court, fawn over, flatter, grovel, suck up to
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Tell him directly what you want. He doesn't like being buttered up."
