butter won't melt in one's mouth

== English == === Alternative forms === butter will not melt in someone's mouth butter won't melt in someone's mouth butter would not melt in someone's mouth === Pronunciation === === Phrase === butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth (idiomatic) 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). (idiomatic) The identified person is prim and proper, standoffish, cool, or dispassionate. ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === butter wouldn't melt (in someone's mouth) at The Free Dictionary butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth at MacMillan Dictionary discussion of the variations in meaning of "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth" at World Wide Words discussion of the origin of "butter would not melt in her mouth" at MIStupid.com discussion of this phrase in "On Language" column in New York Times (28 Feb 1988) by William Safire