The False Hindu Origin of “Butter Someone Up”

Is the origin of “butter someone up” really an ancient Hindu custom? While many sources claim the idiom comes from throwing butter at religious statues, this is actually a popular myth. In reality, the phrase has 17th-century English roots and simply refers to the “slippery” nature of flattery.

Quick Origin Facts: “Butter Someone Up”

The Myth: It originated from an ancient Hindu practice of throwing balls of ghee (butter) at statues of gods to gain favor.
The Reality: There is no historical evidence of such a practice ever existing in India, nor any linguistic link between it and the English idiom.
The True Origin: The phrase first appeared in the early 1600s. It is an extension of using the word “butter” to describe smooth, flattering, or ingratiating speech, much like “oiling” someone up.

The Celts of the pre-Christian actually did use butter to anoint stone idols in hopes of receiving favor or blessings from the Gods. There is no evidence that the “butter up” idiom came from the Celts or from Hindu practices, however. All such claims are folk etymology based on supposition.

The Popular Hindu Legend

It is true that butter is an important part of Hindu beliefs and is associated with several Gods and religious ceremonies. There are “butter drinking Gods” who drink butter sacrifice rituals. There is Prajapatis, said to have created ghee out of nothing. There is Agni, the fire God who is said to love butter. This is described in an ancient hymm where a verse is recited to Agni while melted butter or ghee is used to feed flames:

. . . these waves of Butter flow like gazelles before the hunter . . . Streams of Butter caress the burning wood. Agni, the fire, loves them and is satisfied.

This verse correlates with the use of butter to pour onto ritual fires during Hindu weddings and other ceremonies.

There are also stories of Lord Khrisna having a habit of stealing ghee and butter from the hanging pots of milkmaids. This earned him the affectionate nickname makhan chor, or “butter thief.”

The Snake God Churning An Ocean of Milk

In the Vedas, the oldest religious texts of Hinduism, there is a story of the Snake God Vasuki. This Snake God, in the story, acts as a rope to spin Mandhara, a mythological mountain, like the plunger in a butter churn. Together they heroically churn an ocean of milk into blessed talismans and creatures. The story personifies the Hindu belief that butter/ghee is hidden in milk like the divine Lord is hidden in all creation; spiritual work and its rewards are symbolized by the hard job of churning.

A Lack of Historical Evidence

As important as butter is to the Hindu religion, it is also important in other cultures. Butter was described as a food for celebration in the Bible and is featured in many other English expressions. Perhaps most telling is the fact that the only sources describing the practice of “throwing balls of butter at the statues of Gods” are those claiming it to be the origin of the idiom “butter up.” For this reason alone, we can assume this is a false origin. It is unlike anyone would throw something at a God, even something as important as ghee.

The Real Roots: 17th Century English

According to the OED, from 1618, the word butter was used to refer to “flattering or ingratiating speech or behavior, esp. when used to gain favor or advantage.” This is the same meaning as “butter up” and it is common for such verbs to acquire an accompanying “up” as an intensifier. Oil was used similarly and so was sugar. For example:

Words which are as the prickings of a Sword,..when rather words, as it were suppled with Oyle and Butter, should be vsed. — J. Dyke, D. Dyke’s Two Treat.: Philemon & Schoole of Affliction vii. 156 (1618)

Why “Butter”? From Soft Hearts to Slippery Words

This use of the word butter may have been an extension of its use to refer to a person having a “Heart of Butter.” This meant that their heart was soft and easily yielding. So, it may be that to ‘butter someone up’ was to take advantage of their easily yielding nature or “softness.”

How and why the word butter came to be used in this way is unknown. It could refer to spreading smooth butter on bread to improve the taste and help it go down better. And, since to oil someone up has a similar meaning, it could be an allusion to spreading butter on someone to make them more “slippery.” Although the two idioms are not related, to “grease the wheels” is similar.

More Idiom Origins: Why Do We Say You Have ‘Egg on Your Face’?

While the Hindu Gods and ghee story is more interesting, the latter is much more likely. There is no need for the English language to have borrowed such an idea from an ancient Hindu religious practice. There is no evidence to support a link between any Hindu practice and the English idiom “butter someone up.” As well, there is no historical basis for the story of people throwing ghee at the statues of Hindu Gods. According to a person from India, responding to me on YouTube:

I am Indian and never heard of this origin until now. I too have my doubts. As far as throwing stuff, yes Hindus throw things like flowers, coins, jewelry, but food, like butter and milk is always placed in front in a respectful manner.

Further Reading: The Language of Food

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