butter and eggs trot

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A kind of short jogg trot, such as is used by women going to market, with butter and eggs.--he looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth, yet I warrant you cheese would not choak her; a saying of a demure looking woman, of suspected character. Don't make butter dear; a gird at the patient angler.

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “butter and eggs trot” mean?

A kind of short jogg trot, such as is used by women going to market, with butter and eggs.--he looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth, yet I warrant you cheese would not choak her; a saying of a demure looking woman, of suspected character. Don't make butter dear; a gird at the patient angler.

Is “butter and eggs trot” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.