This phrase originated in the mid 19th century and comes from a simple form of cryptography, in which a hidden meaning was conveyed by secreting it between lines of text. (source) It's modern day meaning is similar in that a meaning isn't obvious but has to be discovered.
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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