fine words butter no parsnips
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Nice talk doesn't get things done
Literally: buttering parsnips as a useless action
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Near equivalent
lấy độc trị độc
to fight fire with fire
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
fight fire with fire
Use tactics of the opponent to respond.
English · via lấy độc trị độc
Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.
Common questions
What does “fine words butter no parsnips” mean?
Nice talk doesn't get things done Literally: buttering parsnips as a useless action
Is “fine words butter no parsnips” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“lấy độc trị độc” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.