"Plays Like Butter"

[jaycat]

In the interest of truth in advertising, I was just wondering if anyone has actually ever tried this? Playing butter, I mean.

[Ron McMillan]

the stupidest phrase to ever insinuate itself into the speech patterns of a community.

But that's only this grump's opinion.

[lenf12]

That would be "playing with butter". The correct term is "plays like buddah"

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[jaycat]

the stupidest phrase to ever insinuate itself into the speech patterns of a community.

But that's only this grump's opinion.

Proposed alternative: "Plays Like Oleo."

[OldSausage]

It seems an apt enough metaphor to me. As long as you don't take it too literally I don't see a problem.

[f5loar]

I like "slicker than deer guts on a door knob". That's pretty slick!

[GDAE]

"Plays like butter" is a phrase that has no meaning. So you can't complain if someone advertises the instrument that way and it's difficult to play.

Personally, I find it akin to fingernails on a blackboard. I'm LESS likely to buy one with that description.

[Ron McMillan]

I like "slicker than deer guts on a door knob". That's pretty slick!

A great image, wonderful phrase, one with actual meaning, unlike the vapid butter cliche. If someone told me he had a mandolin for sale that was slicker than deer guts on a door knob, I'd be really intrigued.

[jaycat]

There's another metaphor involving two eels which is, alas, unprintable here.

[MikeEdgerton]

This phrase actually gets beat up every few years here. Here's one.

[JEStanek]

I play a mandolin that plays like butter and it kills banjos because it's a cannon. It's tone is dark and complex like hand ground Jamaican coffee. I make up for skill with metaphor and simile. None of these expressions bother me... they just seem part of our vernacular.

Jamie

[MikeEdgerton]

By the way, this guitar plays like butter because... well, because it is butter!

[Randi Gormley]

Mike, that wasn't from the Big E by any chance, was it? They do a killer butter sculpture every year.

[Steve Ostrander]

Mine plays so good, I can't believe it isn't butter...

[Gregory Tidwell]

This sounds like a phrase Elvis Presley would have coined.

[Shelagh Moore]

I suppose without a good set-up it would play like cheese?

[JEStanek]

If you whip it like a mule, shouldn't it play like whipped cream or other delights? I mean Bill didn't sing churn it like a mule did he?

Jamie

[Mike Scott]

OK, so .............................."if it doesn't play like butter then what does it play like?" Wow! a new Zen Koan! If you have the answer then you are truly an enlightened being.

[Elliot Luber]

My mandolin plays like buddah, but I play it like peanut buddah -- so something gets lost in the sauce.

[TEE]

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter....This is in Psalms in the Bible, so I guess it has been used as a metaphor for smooth at least that long.

[farmerjones]

ima little confused, but that's all the time.

But i have played a mandolin with a butter pickguard.

"She was a thing of beauty but'her pickguard."

[Bill Baldridge]

Butter shut this down before it melts.

[Astro]

...

[Astro]

I thought it was Plays Like Buddah

[MikeEdgerton]

Mike, that wasn't from the Big E by any chance, was it? They do a killer butter sculpture every year.

Don't honestly know, just snagged it off the web.