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Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—S

Soft Words Butter no Parsnips

or “Fair words,” etc. Saying “Be thou fed” will not feed a hungry man. “Good words will not fill a sack.” To “butter parsnips” means also “dorer la pilule” (“soft words will not gild the pill of distress”).

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
Softly
Soft Fire makes Sweet Malt
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More on Soft Words Butter no Parsnips from Infoplease:

  • Soft Words Butter no Parsnips - Soft Words Butter no Parsnips or “Fair words,” etc. Saying “Be thou fed” ...
  • Words - Words Soft words butter no parsnips. In Scotland an excellent dish is made of parsnips and potatoes ...
  • Butter - Butter Soft soap, soft solder (pron. saw-der), “wiping down” with winning words. Punch ...
  • Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: S - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "S"

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