butter up
Medium (B2-C1)Informal, Colloquial, Figurative
Definition
Meaning
To flatter or praise someone excessively in order to gain favor or manipulate them.
To use insincere praise, servile behavior, or exaggerated friendliness to win someone over, especially someone in a position of authority.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a deliberate, often transparent, strategy of manipulation through flattery. The imagery is of making someone 'smooth' or agreeable, like butter on bread. Carries a negative connotation of insincerity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant meaning difference. Both use identically.
Connotations
Identical connotation of cynical manipulation.
Frequency
Equally common and understood in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] butter up [Object][Subject] butter [Object] upVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “soft soap”
- “lay it on thick”
- “apple-polish”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common in office politics; e.g., buttering up the boss before asking for a promotion or raise.
Academic
Rare in formal texts; might appear in sociological/political discussions of sycophancy.
Everyday
Very common in describing social manipulation among friends, family, or colleagues.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He's always trying to butter up the head of department.
- I saw you buttering the teacher up before the test.
American English
- She buttered up her dad before asking to borrow the car.
- Don't think you can butter me up with compliments.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He gave her sweets. He is buttering her up.
- The student tried to butter up the teacher by saying the lesson was fantastic.
- You can't just butter up the committee with promises; you need a solid proposal.
- His transparent attempt to butter up the investors by praising their acumen did little to obscure the weaknesses in his financial model.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone literally spreading butter all over their boss's back – it's slippery, greasy, and insincere.
Conceptual Metaphor
FLATTERY IS A GREASY SUBSTANCE (slippery, insincere, coating the truth).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'намазать маслом'.
- Beware of the false friend 'butter' (масло) leading to a nonsensical translation.
- The correct conceptual translation is 'подлизываться', 'льстить с корыстной целью'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He butters me.' (Missing particle 'up')
- Incorrect word order: 'He buttered the boss.' (Needs 'up' after 'boss' or before)
Practice
Quiz
In which situation is someone most likely 'buttering up' another person?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it carries a strong connotation of insincerity and manipulation. Even if the outcome is harmless, the act itself is viewed as scheming.
Yes, it's a separable phrasal verb. Both 'He buttered up the boss' and 'He buttered the boss up' are correct, though the first is slightly more common.
'Butter up' is more specific and critical. It implies flattery with a clear, self-serving goal. You can flatter someone genuinely, but you always 'butter someone up' for a purpose.
Not standard. Informally, someone who does this might be called a 'brown-noser' (US) or 'crawler' (UK). The act is 'buttering up'.