court holy water

English

Noun

court holy water (uncountable)

(obsolete) Pleasant but empty words, insincere promises or flattery.
Synonym: court holy bread
- 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act III:
  The King & his Nobles thinke they may ſleepe in quiet,
  Now they haue giuen vs a little holy water at the Court,
  But thers no ſuch matter, we be no ſuch fooles,
  To be bobd out with words and after come to hanging: […]
- c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 296, column 1:
  O Nunkle, Court holy‐water in a dry houſe, is better then this Rain‐water out o’doore. Good Nunkle, in, aske thy Daughters bleſſing, heere’s a night pitties neither Wiſemen, nor Fooles.

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