banana oil
banana oil
Superfluous, disingenuous, or nonsensical talk, especially that which is meant to flatter someone or exaggerate something. Look, I know I won't get past the first round of this tournament, so you can stop feeding me banana oil.
See also: banana, oil
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
banana oil
Nonsense, exaggerated flattery, as in I should be on television? Cut out the banana oil! The precise analogy in this idiom is not clear, unless it is to the fact that banana oil, a paint solvent and artificial flavoring agent, has no relation to the fruit other than that it smells like it. Possibly it is a variation on snake oil, a term for quack medicine that was extended to mean nonsense. [1920s]
See also: banana, oil
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
banana oil
AMERICAN, INFORMALIf you call what someone says banana oil, you mean that it is only said to gain an advantage and is not sincere. All the things he said about her qualities of leadership were just banana oil.
See also: banana, oil
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
banana oil
nonsensical talk; bullshit. US and Australian informalSee also: banana, oil
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
banana oil
n. nonsense. I refuse to listen to any more of your childish banana oil.
See also: banana, oil
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
banana oil
insincere or ridiculous talk. Like “horse feathers,” there's no such substance as banana oil. Also like “horse feathers,” the phrase Described something utterly preposterous. It has been attributed to Milt Gross, a cartoonist who first used the expression in his comic strips during the 1920s.
See also: banana, oil
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
- be out of (one's) face
- out of (one's) face
- out of (one's) skull
- out of one’s skull
- out of skull
- out of your skull
- bunk
- bunkum
- a load of bunk
- a lot of bunk