court holy water

English

Noun

court holy water (uncountable)

1. (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.