Fair words butter no cabbage.
Fair words butter no cabbage.
Meaning in plain English
The saying denies that fair words butter cabbage. It contrasts pleasing speech with the practical contribution a task needs.
Example
A group checks what was actually done after a reassuring promise.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The food image makes an absent result concrete. A useful interpretation compares a promise with relevant follow-through without declaring all polite words useless. Communication can help, but it does not by itself supply the material action named in the image.
When to use it
Use it to compare pleasing words with relevant follow-through.
Keep in mind
Speech is not inherently worthless, and the phrase does not prove a particular promise false.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 743; PDF page 106
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