- English translation
What is promised at night is coated in butter: once daylight reaches it, it melts away.
- Literal wording
Night talk is smeared with butter; the day rises upon it and it melts.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes promises and pledges that look smooth and appealing when spoken in the evening but do not survive the next day. Like butter spread on a surface, they hold their shape only until the morning heat reaches them, then slip away. The butter is a melting coating, not an image of flattery.
In practice it is applied to people who fail to honor their word. The contrast between night and day sets the easy, unguarded moment of promising, not necessarily romantic or secret, against the sober moment of fulfillment, when the commitment is quietly abandoned.
- When it is used
Suitable for remarking that someone's earlier assurances came to nothing once the time came to act. It can also serve as a gentle warning not to rely on promises made casually or in a warm moment, before they have been tested by daylight practicalities.
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- Colloquial proverbial speech
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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