B2idiominformalfoodIELTS-friendly
butter someone up
USUK
to be very nice to someone because you want something from them
The object can go in the middle ('butter me up') or after 'up' ('butter up the boss').
In context
She's been buttering up her dad all week because she wants a new phone.
Don't try to butter me up; the answer is still no.
More idioms about food
- a bad appleone bad person who has a bad effect on the rest of a group
- a couch potatoa person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV instead of being active
- a different kettle of fisha completely different situation from the one just mentioned
- a finger in every pieinvolved in many different activities, often to get power
- a meal ticketa person or thing that someone uses as a source of money or support