fine words butter no parsnips

English

Etymology

Attested as early as 1639 as faire words butter noe parsnips, alluding to the English habit of buttering foods to make them more palatable. It was found in the 17th century in various forms with the first and last word being different, thus allowing combinations of fine/fair/soft with parsnips/cabbage/fish/connie before becoming standardized in the form fine words doth butter no parsnips.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Proverb

fine words butter no parsnips

1. Nothing is achieved by empty words or flattery.

Translations

talking about doing something does not get it done

• Dutch: praatjes vullen geen gaatjes
• Finnish: ei suuret sanat suuta halkaise (literally “big words won't split the mouth”)
• German: Von schönen Worten kann man sich nichts kaufen. (literally “from nice words you can not buy anything.”)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ῥήματα ἀντ’ ἀλφίτων (rhḗmata ant’ alphítōn, literally “words instead of meals”)

• Italian: le belle parole non danno da mangiare (literally “fair words don't feed”)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: det hjelper ikke med snakk (literally “talk won't do it”)

• Russian: соловья́ ба́снями не нако́рмишь (solovʹjá básnjami ne nakórmišʹ, literally “you can't feed a nightingale with fables”)

See also

• actions speak louder than words

References

• Butter no parsnips on World Wide Words
• Fine words butter no parsnips on The Phrase Finder