fine words butter no parsnips
fine words butter no parsnips
proverb Promises do not ensure that something will happen. A: "Ugh, Tim swore he'd be here at 8 to help me pack." B: "Well, fine words butter no parsnips, you know."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Fine words butter no parsnips.
Prov. Just because someone promises something does not guarantee that he or she will do it. (Can be used as a rebuke, implying that the person you are addressing is promising something he or she will not do, as in the second example.) Sue: Tom promised he would buy me any house I want if I marry him! Jane: Fine words butter no parsnips. Fred: Sweetheart, I'm very sorry I've been so short-tempered. I'll never, never be like that anymore. Ellen: Fine words butter no parsnips.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.