pp. Spreading the resources of a company or person too thin.
2009
Still, a former Google executive observed, "Google could do fewer products and make fewer investments. They are doing too many and peanut-buttering everything."
2008
There are fewer than 70 days until June 30. We're having trouble envisioning anything more than a slap-dash, spread-too-thin peanut buttering of something for every neighborhood. But let's see. Something good could fall right into place.
1995 (earliest)
Between state policy making and local control lies this nebulous thing that I would call regional reform. I would like to take a look at regional reform in a deep sense for schools and stop peanut-buttering ourselves out, as my mother used to say, into all these little quasi-successful efforts that aren't getting us anywhere.
Teaming "is a way of 'peanut buttering' the business," said Jerry F. Cantwell, vice president for research at Wertheim Schroder & Co. in New York. "We have seven fighter houses in the country, but not enough business for that many suppliers. So everybody gets a little bit of what's available."