Green’s Dictionary of Slang

the vagina.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 32: bateau, m. The female pudendum; ‘the butter-boat’.

1. the vagina.

1705–07

N. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II:4 18: The Fro believing from my Joaks, / I fancy’d not her Butter-Box.

2. see also under SE compounds below.

the penis.

1834		Ely’s Hawk & Buzzard (NY) Sept. 6 n.p.: Please send your Hawk to inform the young man that took the butter knife from me to return it to me or I will expose his name.
c.1904		A. Crowley Snowdrops from a Curate’s Garden 18: He [...] plunged his straining and kicking butter-knife within the hole thus formed. The foaming guts closed round his maddened member.

to masturbate.

1943

in G. Legman Limerick (1953) 329: There was a cute quirp from Calcutta / Who was fond of churning love-butta.

in difficulties.

1955

‘Blackie’ Audett Rap Sheet 72: If the cinder dicks find you on the train, we will all be in the butter.

of a woman, to have sexual intercourse.

1594		Gesta Grayorum in J. Nichols Progresses and Processions of Queen Elizabeth (1823) III 335: If lusty Doll, mayde of the dary / Chance to be blew-nipte by the Fayry, / For making butter with her tayle; / I’le give her that did never fayle.
1653		Mercurius Democritus No. 82 644: Here’s Meg, Moll, Kate, Maids of the Dayrie, / But last night blew-nipt by a Fayrie, / For making Butter with their tailes.

see separate entry.

(US) naive, spoilt, foolish.

1970

E. Thompson A Garden of Sand (1981) 37: You come back here, you butter-assed little bastard.

a woman with large breasts and buttocks.

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 142: The expression butter baby refers to a girl who promises to be amply endowed – as one young man put it – ‘from her headlights to her hocks’.

a Dutchman; also attrib.

1622

J. Howell Familiar Letters (1737) II Dec. 90: For the latter strength, we may thank our Countryman Ward, and Danskey the Butterbag Hollander.

an overweight or plump (young) person; also as adj.

1940		S. Longstreet Decade 231: ‘Listen, Chris,’ asked Barnes of the butterball face, ‘what do you think we just got?’.
1946		Nottingham Eve. Post 15 Nov. 4/6: There are three main types of men — the fat man or butterball, the bone and muscle type, and the stringbean.
1955		‘Hal Ellson’ ‘Tell Them Nothing’ in Tell Them Nothing (1956) 2: He’d beat that fat hide right off you, Butterball.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
1978		H. Selby Jr Requiem for a Dream (1987) 21: Yawl just turn her on to some smack and her butter ball ass go right down the drain.
1986		S. King It (1987) 87: I was a regular butterball.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 24: A lot of guys got tagged with nicknames during jonin’ sessions: Roach, Tweety Bird, Itchy Booty, Butter Ball.
2000		S. Maloney Big Ask 79: I found myself facing a vivacious little butterball, her hair in coiled ringlets.
2002		S. Maloney Something Fishy (2006) 23: Behind her butterball exterior, Gillian was sharp as a tack.
2012		(con. 1954) ‘Jack Tunney’ Tomato Can Comeback [ebook] That dirty little butterball got what was coming to him.
2013		J. Ordoñez ‘The Last Job’ in ThugLit Aug. [ebook] [F]ighting through these butterball high school dropouts.

buck teeth.

1965–70

in DARE.

1. a Dutchman; the Dutch language.

1600		Dekker Shoemakers’ Holiday II iii: They may well be called butter-boxes, when they drink fat veale, and thicke beare too.
1600		Weakest goeth to the Wall line 462: In stead of parle buon francoys, learne to brawl out butterbox .
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: Thou lookest like a strange creature, a fat butter-box, yet speakest English.
1626		Jonson Staple of News I ii: The butter-box, Buz, the emissary.
1635		H. Glapthorne Hollander I i: [If] The gentle noose had knit up him, and a hundred of his country men, our land would not be pestred so with butterboxes.
1645		P. Fisher ‘A March’ in Carpenter Verse in English from Tudor & Stuart Eng. (2003) 259: A Gallimaufry Hodge-Podge kind / Of Butterboxes came behind.
1652		Mercurius Democritus 8-16 Dec. 182: Vanfart having chain’d up the Thames with Holland Cheeses makes them beleeve the Narrow Seas are to be confin’d into the narrow compasse of a Butter-box.
1652		Mercurius Democritus 8-16 Dec. 188: The Butter-boxes have caused the English Colours to be set upon their own ships.
c.1660		in Euing Broadside Ballads No. 60 ‘Dutch Damnified or the Butter-Boxes Bob’d’ [title].
1674		Hogan-Moganides 3: When Butterbox did put on State; Confusion turn’d Confederate.
1695		N. Ward Auction 3: What, I warrant you, that’s a Butter-box with his 1 Pound, 1 Skillin.
1700		N. Ward Step to Bath 11: [She] then departed, and left poor Butter-Box, to be ridicul’d by the whole Society of Thimberkins.
1725		New Canting Dict.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: butter box, Dutchman, from the great quantity of butter eaten by the people of that country.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1867		W.H. Smyth Sailor’s Word-Bk (1991) 148: Butter-Box. A cant term for a Dutchman.
1872		C. Hindley Old Book Collector’s Misc. 32: a butter-box noul. — i.e. a Dutchman’s head.
1933		R. Crane Wash Tubbs [comic strip] Well, me handsome butterboxes.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1983		Maledicta VII 25: Buttermouth and butterbox are old slurs on the Dutch.

2. a fop [play on the ‘softness’ of butter].

1699

N. Ward London Spy IX 209: They [...] became their Post much better in their Old Coats, than the Butter-boxes did in all their finery.

3. a German.

1851

Melville Moby Dick (1907) 308: ‘Don’t be afraid, my butter-boxes,’ cried Stubb.

4. see also under sl. compounds above.

of a man, effeminate.

1963–74

B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 61: You Aussies are so deliciously butterbox.

a novice, esp. a young police officer or a newly qualified taxi-driver.

1977

D. Powis Signs of Crime 176: Butter boy Newly licensed cab driver, or very young policeman.

(Aus./US) a fool; thus butter-brained, stupid.

1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 20 Mar. 4/1: Could stupidity go father than this in the shape of butter-brained, beautiful bungling?
1978		T. O’Brien Going After Cacciato (1980) 46: Twerp, creepo, butterbrain. It wasn’t right. He was a straightforward, honest [...] guy.
1997		Bird Munchies (Aus.) ‘Feathered Frolics’ 🌐 Listen, butterbrain, he’s had more good ideas than you’ve had munchies.
2001		Redwall Fanfiction Board ‘StarPearl’s Journey part 7’ 🌐 ‘Do you know where you going, FireEye?’ Asked Loki. ‘Yes, you butterbrain! I only took this route a million times coming to Samptra!’.

(US black) a large posterior.

1971

(con. 1930s–50s) D. Wells Night People 117: Butter butt. Fat bottom.

1. a pet name for a child.

1877

E.L. Linton World Well Lost vii: Hilda was still in the school-room, and seldom appeared, even at afternoon tea; which in general is licensed to include buttercups [F&H].

2. (US) a young boy.

1924

H.L. Wilson Professor How Could You! 230: It was certainly soft sugar for that buttercup.

3. an effeminate male homosexual.

1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1965		(ref. to 1930s) Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 6: buttercup (n.): Effeminate male homosexual. (Used in the 1930’s by heterosexuals; now fallen into disuse.).
1972		(ref. to 1930s) B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 72: stereotype effeminate homosexual [...] buttercup (hetero sl, ’30s).

4. (US) a pretty young woman.

1928		D. Totheroh Burlesque 92: Take your little buttercup away from that door.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

(mainly juv.) one who lets things slip through their fingers; thus butterfinger v., to let something slip through one’s fingers; thus butter-fingered adj.

1836		T. Hook Gilbert Gurney 146: Cries of ‘Ah, clumsy’ – ‘halloo, butter fingers,’ were heard.
1857		T. Hood Pen and Pencil Pictures 141: He was a slovenly player, and went among the cricket-lovers by the sobriquet of Butter-fingers.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn) 108: BUTTER-FINGERED, apt to let things fall.
1861		G. Meredith Evan Harrington I 248: The ball, indeed, was dropping straight into the hands of [...] the long-hit-off, he who never was known to miss a catch – butter-fingered beast! – he let the ball slip through his fingers.
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1860].
1888		T.W. Lawson Krank: His Lang. and What It Means 24: The buttercups I gather While the batsman waits and lingers, And now you know the reason Why they call me ‘butter-fingers’.
1896		M. Williams Round London 86: There are howls of ‘Bloomin’ butter-fingers!’ followed by derisive laughter.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Nov. 12/3: Even a butter-fingers could have picked the dreamer’s pocket of a valuable sweep-ticket without breaking his trance.
1904		G.B. Shaw John Bull’s Other Island II ii: Oh, you’ve a dale to say for yourself, you butther-fingered omadhaun.
1910		O. Johnson Varmint 82: The Cleve House representatives were a lot of dubs, butterfingers and fumblers, anyhow!
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 95: Slinging the dicebox [...] and adding ‘Butter-thumbs!’ when he missed it.
1915		M.G. Hayden ‘Terms Of Disparagement’ in DN IV:iii 218: butter-fingered, clumsy.
1928		Hecht & MacArthur Front Page Act III: You God damn butter fingers!
1929		L. Thomas Woodfill of the Regulars 245: It was hardly a job for butter-fingered rookies.
1936		W.R. Burnett King Cole 262: ‘She’s always dropping things, Governor,’ said Fred. ‘I call her Butterfingers’.
1947		S. Lewis Kingsblood Royal (2001) 231: So obliging in their butterfingered offers to take from her a burden of sorrow that neither of them could understand.
1949		P. Pringle Boy’s Book of Cricket 32: Well held – Billy Butterfingers!
1958		A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 168: Some beer trickled on to a woman’s coat [...] ‘Butterfingers’.
1962		K. Waterhouse There is a Happy Land (1964) 95: Hah, blinking butterfingers has dropped his plate!
1963		B. Hecht Gaily, Gaily 55: I knew chiefly the rakish fraternity of [...] addled porch climbers, wife beaters, door-mat thieves, [...] butterfingered safeblowers and shop-lifters.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 35: The shooter ran around the table as Butterfingers hit the floor.
1982		J. Sullivan ‘The Long Legs of the Law’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] Oh dear, oh dear, butterfingers.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 207: Catchcha later, butterfingers.
2000		Guardian Editor 7 Jan. 13: In the dream Crystal’s patient [...] appears as his son, butterfingering a revolver and failing to prevent the hit.

(drugs) marijuana.

1971		Illinois Legislative Investigating Committee Drug Crisis in Spears (1986).
1977		L. Young et al. Recreational Drugs.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 5: Butter flower — Marijuana.

1. (US, also butter gills) a fool; thus butterheaded adj., foolish.

1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 May. 9/4: Some insane old butterhead once remarked that figures couldn't lie, but [...] this fellow never dreamt of the mighty power of the Sydney daily press.
1950		S. Murphy Stone Mad (1966) 189: D’ye hear me old butter gills!
1986		L. Heinemann Paco’s Story (1987) 16: The senior class’s butter-headed peckerwood flashing around the locker room.
2002		S. Elliott Life without Consequences 139: ‘Butterhead,’ I call him when I sit down to play against him. He glares at me but he is a skinny runt and nothing to be afraid of.

2. (US black) a black person who, for whatever reason, is considered an embarrassment to their race.

1987		J. Škvorecký Dvorak in Love 102: ‘Why you calling me butterhead?’ ‘Because you’re a nigger, butterhead.’.
1992		B. & K. Coville Goblins in the Castle 90: Better be afraid, butterhead boy!
1994		C. Major Juba to Jive 75: Butterhead n. (1940s) a ‘Negro’ who is considered an ‘embarrassment’ to his race.

(US) a shop.

1859		Matsell Vocabulum 16: butter ken A shop or store.
1881		Trumble Sl. Dict. (1890) 10: Butterker. A store. Butter-Ken. Store or shop.

see separate entries.

(US) a Northern supporter of the Confederacy during the US Civil War; also attrib.

1862		G.W. Whitman diary Civil War Letters 141: The North Carolinaons [sic] and Georgians were regular buternuts [sic], gaunt, long haired and long leged [sic] chaps most of them dressed in Butternut clothing.
1864		C.W. Wills Army Life of an Illinois Soldier (1996) 172: Whenever a butternut would appear among us they would greet him with a perfect storm of shouts.
1945		(ref. to US Civil War) Botkin Lay My Burden Down 96: They had all their menfolks in the Confederate army [...] I seen lots of men in butternut clothes.

(US black teen) an attractive Puerto Rican/Latino woman; also attrib.

2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 151: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Redbone. Hi-Yella. French vanilla. Butter pecan. Chocolate deluxe. Caramel sundae.
2003		50 Cent ‘P.I.M.P.’ 🎵 I got some butter pecan Puerto Ricans.

a baby, a child, esp. when illegitimate.

c.1617		Fletcher Chances I vi: A beavy of these Butter-prints.
1622		Fletcher Spanish Curate II i: There are some poor Labourers [...] with helping one another, Produce some few pin’d Butter-prints, that scarce hold the Christening neither.
1629		R. Brome Northern Lasse II i: A Butter-print?
1682		Buckingham Chances I vi: [as cit. c.1617].
1709		British Apollo II 46 32: Her Girl and her Boy, / For Patterns employ, / To make little Butter-Prints by [F&H].
1733		C. Coffey Boarding-School 38: Backstitch has just now lock’d her up in a lower Room, where my little Butter-print was waiting for me.

(US) money.

c.1960

Wilson Collection n.p.: Butter skin [...] slang name for money [DARE].

(US) buck teeth.

1606		Wily Beguiled 35: Give me but such an other word, and Ile be they tooth-drawer een of they butter tooth, thou toothlesse trot thou.
1609		Jonson Silent Woman IV v: Your two butter-teeth.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Butter Teeth. Large broad fore teeth.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1888		S.O. Addy Sheffield Gloss. 34: Butter-Teeth, large, broad front teeth.
1965–70		in DARE.

see butterfingers

see tub of guts under tub n.¹

a good measure.

1733

Swift ‘On Poetry’ Miscellanies V (1751) 264: Yet why should we be lac’d to straight? I’ll give my ------ Butter-weight .

an ill-tempered woman who sells butter.

1593		Nashe Four Letters Confuted in Works II (1883–4) 238: Why thou arrant butter whore, thou cotqueane and scrattop of scoldes.
1606		J. Day Ile of Guls IV i: O that I were a butter whore for an houre I might scold a little.
1620		‘Excellent New Medley’ in Pepys Ballads (1987) I 456: The Cuckow sung hard by the doore, Gyll brawled like a butter whore, Cause her buck-headed Husband swore the Miller was a knaue.
1639		J. Clarke Paraemiologia 275: To scould like butter-wives.
1642		J. Howell Familiar Letters 20: They scold like so many butter-whores or oyster-women at Billingsgate [F&H].
1685		S. Wesley Maggots 127: All the Tripe-women, Kitchin-stuff-wenches, Hogs-feet, Butter-Whores and Scullions.
1696		Motteux (trans.) Gargantua and Pantagruel (1927) II Bk V 557: The old fusty landlady kept her ground, swearing like any butter-whore, that the tarpaulins were very honest cods.
1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 129: He scolded like a Butter-Whore.
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 184: You kick’d, and danc’d, and bounc’d, and swore, / And scolded like a butter-whore.
1797		Bridges Burlesque Homer (4th edn) I 248: [as cit. 1772].

(Aus.) a newspaper.

1885

Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Jan. 7/1: We quote from the local butter-wrapper.

see butter-and-egg man n.

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

to be well aware, to have no illusions.

1818

‘A. Burton’ Adventures of Johnny Newcome I 50: ‘You see it?’ — ‘Yes.’ —‘Well, that implies, You’ve got no butter in your eyes.’.