Why Do We Say “Butter Someone Up”?
In a literal sense, “buttering someone up” may be the perfect solution for a ring stuck on their finger or a hand caught in the pickle jar. But outside of those rare cases, the phrase is used figuratively. “To butter someone up” means “to flatter or praise someone” as a
method of gaining their help or support. The idiom’s origins are tough to pin down, but let’s travel back to the 17th century to glean a better understanding. In a 1662 religious work, The Crown and Glory of Christianity, the slippery nature of butter is a vehicle for deception: Flatterers...
