Butter up

He takes every opportunity to butter up the boss.

I'm not a cobb of corn, so you can stop butterin' me up. I don't need you to tell me how good my coffee is.

Do you mind if I butter you up a little before I answer that question?

Joe Hart finished the night without a single grass stain on his kit and it was just a surprise the team did not butter up their goal difference even more once Welbeck had clipped in Lambert's through-ball five minutes into the second half.