- “Butterface” is a blend of the phrase “but her face.” Besides being a very harsh insult, this neologism is interesting in that it shows how a phrase can be blended together not just words. Many blends tend to be between two separate unrelated words. For example, “emoticon” is a blend between “emotion” and “icon.” However, here there is a blending of all the words in the phrase. Also, the spelling changes to “butterface” rather than “butherface” or “buterface.” This may lead some that are unfamiliar with the meaning to think it is a compound of “butter” and “face” but this is incorrect. This change in spelling allows for a masking or veiling of the meaning and therefore the insult. It is also an interesting play on words between "butter" and "but her."
Butterface (2)
noun; blending
Used to describe a woman who has an extremely attractive body but her face is not on the same level as her body.
Etymology : Blended from “but her face” to “butterface.”
Source : “She’s a butterface, man.” – College student at Rice Oct. 2010.
Last modified: 9 December 2010