court holy water

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English

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Noun

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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.