butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English
47
Scrabble Score
32
Letters
7
Syllables
14
Unique Chars
Meaning
phrase
The identified person appears to be benign, mild-mannered, or calm (but with an integral suggestion that, to the contrary, they really are untrustworthy, disagreeable, or mean-spirited).
phrase
The identified person is prim and proper, standoffish, cool, or dispassionate.
Example Sentences
- "Col. Why, they say she's one of the chief toasts in town. Lady S. Ay, when all the rest are out of it. Miss. Well; I wouldn't be as sick as she's proud for all the world. Lady A. She looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but, I warrant, cheese won't choke her. . . . Col. I can't pardon her for her rudeness to me."
- "When a visitor comes in, she smiles and languishes, you'd think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth: and the minute he is gone, very likely, she flares up like a little demon, and says things fit to send you wild."
- ""Yes, he is a ruffian and a brute, and I don't see what Mr. Cameron sees about him to like, I am sure." "Probably the boy makes him think he is a model of excellence. Such boys are apt to be deceitful." "He's deceitful enough. You'd think butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.""
- "Yes, he is the bishop's chaplain; a Jesuit in disguise I call him, with his moping and mowing and sneaky ways. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth; […]"
- ""Evil, wise and cruel," reflected Rob, as he restored the spectacles to his pocket. "How easily such a man could impose upon people. To look at him one would think that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth!""
- ""There's old Stephen Grant coming in," exclaimed Peg viciously, shaking her floury fist at him, "and looking as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. He may be an elder, but he's a scoundrel just the same.""