Pushing or striking with the head or horns, or in phrases like 'butting in,' interrupting someone's conversation without permission.
From Middle English 'butten,' derived from Old French 'boter' meaning 'to strike or thrust.' Originally described animals using their horns but expanded to mean any pushing with the head.
Goats and rams literally use their heads to establish dominance—they butt heads to settle disputes—and 'butting in' mimics this aggressive interruption! The phrase is wonderfully metaphorical: when you 'butt into' a conversation, you're ramming your way in uninvited, just like a stubborn ram.
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