poor man's butter
A dated informal term with two distinct regional senses: the avocado (Caribbean, acknowledging it served a dietary role of butter for people without access to it) and margarine (British, derogatory, presenting it as a cheap imitation of real butter).
Definitions
A dated informal term with two distinct regional senses: the avocado (Caribbean, acknowledging it served a dietary role of butter for people without access to it) and margarine (British, derogatory, presenting it as a cheap imitation of real butter). The first sense reflects avocado's pre-luxury status; the second reflects class contempt for a manufactured substitute. Both senses are now largely historical.
Before avocados became a luxury item, islanders called them poor man's butter and ate them daily.
Comments
A dated nickname that applied to two very different things: in the Caribbean, it was a fond descriptor for the avocado, whose rich, creamy flesh made it accessible luxury for those who couldn't afford dairy; in British usage, it became a slightly cutting term for margarine — the cheap alternative when butter was scarce or expensive. Both uses share the logic of substitution, one affectionate and one dismissive.
She spread some poor man's butter on her toast, stretching the groceries as far as they'd go.
Comments
(dated, Caribbean) The avocado fruit.
Comments
(dated, derogatory) Margarine.
Comments
Used in
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "poor man's butter".
🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
See all Black culture & AAVE slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "poor man's butter" (P)
Browse all slang words starting with P.