The only origin for this phrase is the literal one, happiness when bubbles are floating around and a deflated countenance when they burst. In the figurative it's used to indicate someone who gives information to another person that will more than likely disappoint them; to ruin someone's happy moment; to destroy someone's expectations. (source)
There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.
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