Washington Post 27 Jan. C12 (Peanuts comic strip)[Charlie Brown:] ‘Yes, ma’am, he’s a
very smart dog. Thank you for saying so.’ [Snoopy:] ‘Fine words butter no parsnips.’
2001 Spectator 1 Dec. 66 While it may be a truth universally acknowledged that fine
words butter no parsnips, I have to say that in my experience parsnips are seldom cooked
in butter. hypocrisy; words and deedsfine see also RAIN before seven, fine before eleven.FINGERS were made before forksCommonly used as a polite excuse for eating with one’s hands at table.1567 Loseley MSS (1836) 212 As God made hands before knives, So God send a
good lot to the cutler’s wives. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation ii. 136 (Colonel takes
them [some fritters] out with his Hand.) Col. Here, Miss, they say, Fingers were made
before Forks, and Hands before Knives. 1857 TROLLOPE Barchester Towers II. iii. Miss
Thorne.. was always glad to revert to anything and.. would doubtless in time have
reflected that fingers were made before forks, and have reverted accordingly. 1983 J.
WAINWRIGHT Heroes no More 37 ‘This is ridiculous. However, fingers were made
before forks.’ She lifted one of the king prawns from its resting place and began to nibble
at it. excuses; mannersfingers see also the DEVIL makes his Christmas pies of lawyers’ tongues and clerks’
fingers.
FIRE is a good servant but a bad master1615 T. ADAMS Englands Sickness 20 The world, like fire, may be a good seruant,
will bee an ill Master. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation ii. 183 Why, Fire and Water are
good Servants, but they are very bad Masters. 1808 J. ADAMS Works (1850–6) VI. 533
Like fire, they [i.e. the aristocracy] are good servants, but all-consuming masters. 1948 H.
BESTON Northern Farm xxxvi. ‘Fire is a good servant but a bad master.’ So runs the
proverb. 1973 J. CAIRD Murder Remote XX. Is not whisky the wonderful thing? But like
fire, like fire—a good servant but a bad master. ways and meansThe same FIRE that melts the butter hardens the egg