butter wouldn't melt (in one's mouth)
Said of one who appears innocent or reserved in certain company, when in fact one may have the opposite demeanor. Sure, he looks as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth when he's around people he doesn't know, but stay a while and you'll see what he's really like. Samantha always affects this demure, butter-wouldn't-melt expression on her face whenever she wants something from you. I know you think that Erin's just pulling a "butter wouldn't melt in my mouth" act, but now that I've spent more time with her, I think she genuinely is shy.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth
Be overly coy or demure; be insincere. For example, She looked quite innocent, as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but we knew better . Already a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546, this metaphoric expression alleges that one is literally so cool that butter inside the mouth would not melt.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.