Fine words butter no parsnips

Suggest a Correction

Meaning

Polite promises and flattering talk achieve nothing without practical action. Often used to demand evidence, money or action after reassuring talk. Regional use: British English.

Origin

The proverb is recorded in John Clarke's 1639 collection in the form faire words butter no parsnips. Buttering vegetables was an ordinary act, making the point concrete: speech cannot perform the useful work. Related versions substitute fair or soft for fine and sometimes replace parsnips with other food.

Variants

  • Fair words butter no parsnips
  • Soft words butter no parsnips
  • Fine words butter no fish

Usage Examples

  • The committee offered sympathy, but fine words butter no parsnips and the roof still leaks.
  • Fine words butter no parsnips; show us the signed contract.

Browse More

A to Z More F phrases