Butter
Mortar — specifically the dollop a bricklayer spreads on a brick before setting it.
Definitions
Mortar, in a bricklayer's mouth — and especially the act of applying it. You 'butter' a brick the way you butter toast: a smooth layer on the end before pressing it into place. Tells you the consistency they're after — spreadable, not soupy, not stiff.
Butter In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
Trade slang from the obvious kitchen analogy — spreading mortar with a trowel mimics buttering bread.
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