butter用作及物动词的基本意思是“涂黄油于…上”,常接副词up用于比喻表示“阿谀”“谄媚”。

butter up(v.+adv.)
阿谀; 谄媚 flatter
▲butter sb ⇔ up
Cage tried hard to butter up the boss.凯奇拼命拍老板的马屁。
He suspected that they were buttering him up when everyone suddenly started being nice to him.当他们突然开始对他好的时候,他怀疑他们是在讨好他。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
She buttered her bread.她在面包上涂黄油。
Fine words butter no parsnips.花言巧语是不中用的。

［词源］  ＜希腊语bouturon(奶酪)

butter用作名词的基本意思是“黄油”,是不可数名词。引申可表示“黄油状的食品”,如“脂”“酱”等。

butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth
〈非正〉假装天真无邪; 表面上一副老实样子 look as if innocent and artless
She looked as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.她装出一副老实巴交的样子。

Butter is made by shaking up cream in a churn.黄油是通过在搅拌桶里搅拌牛奶制成的。
Melt the butter and then blend in the flour.先把黄油融化,然后加入面粉。
She combined some sugar, flour and butter to make some cookies.她把白糖、面粉和黄油和在一起做小甜饼。
Butter to butter is no relish.黄油加黄油不成美味。