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.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Fair words butter no parsnips
- Fine words butter no fish
- Soft words butter no parsnips
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.