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FredPuli Diamond Enthusiast 2005 Enthusiast of the Year	Posted " Fine words butter no parsnips" is an old saying in Britain.It dates,in print, from at least 1651 and the image is found in a variant ('fish' for 'parsnips') in 1465. Is it current in the US? It came to my mind when President Obama was addressing the Moslem world today
	Posts: 11798 | Location: Newmarket, UK/ Antibes, S.France | Registered: 07-14-02

DorianGreyed Site Administrator	Posted Hide Post Not to my knowledge, Fred. Visit DorianGreyed's Gifts Visit DorianGreyed's Attic
	Posts: 19562 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, Illinois, USA | Registered: 06-03-02

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FredPuli Diamond Enthusiast 2005 Enthusiast of the Year

Posted Hide Post Ah, shame! It's pleasing. Parsnips are slightly improved by being buttered, though the work involved is trifling. 'To butter' also means 'to flatter lavishly'. In the saying there's a mixing of those two elements. Fine words may sound good and flatter, butter, people but they don't butter parsnips. Slight work though buttering parsnips is, and small its effect,it does have a practical result.Buttering by fine words doesn't do or achieve anything practical at all. Obama's speech was fine but fine words are not action.

Posts: 11798 | Location: Newmarket, UK/ Antibes, S.France | Registered: 07-14-02

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juanruiz Diamond Enthusiast	Posted Hide Post "To butter up" is an old expression in American English, which has been superceded by references to kissing a part of the anatomy.
	Posts: 8300 | Location: On Vacation | Registered: 06-06-02

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FredPuli Diamond Enthusiast 2005 Enthusiast of the Year

Posted Hide Post quote: Originally posted by juanruiz: "To butter up" is an old expression in American English, which has been superceded by references to kissing a part of the anatomy. "Butter up" an old, and current, expression here.It has no bad overtones and is a friendly expression. It's heard a lot more than the simpler 'butter' , being more emphatic. "Arse licking" is derogatory. It means to be fawning subserviently, generally with a view to personal advantage, 'brown-nosing'.The expression you allude to is not heard here. We don't 'do' vulgar

Posts: 11798 | Location: Newmarket, UK/ Antibes, S.France | Registered: 07-14-02

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