curry favor

curry favor
verb
seek favor by fawning or flattery
-

This employee is currying favor with his superordinates

Hypernyms:
fawn, ↑toady, ↑truckle, ↑bootlick, ↑kowtow, ↑kotow, ↑suck up
Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

* * *

\\-ˈfāvə(r)\ phrasal
Etymology: alter. (influenced by favor, n.) of ME currayen favel to curry a chestnut horse, trans. of MF estriller fauvel
: to seek to gain favor by flattery or attentions

* * *

ingratiate oneself with someone through obsequious behavior

a wimpish attempt to curry favor with the new bosses

Origin:
alteration of Middle English curry favel, from the name (Favel or Fauvel) of a chestnut horse in a 14th-cent. French romance who became a symbol of cunning and duplicity; hence ‘to rub down Favel’ meant to use the cunning that he personified

* * *

curry favor
disapproving : to try to get the support or approval of a person or group in order to get some advantage for yourself
— often + with

He is trying to curry favor with the voters by promising a tax cut if he's elected.

• • •
Main Entry:curry
————————
curry favor — see curry, 2
• • •
Main Entry:favor

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • curry favor — (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of curry (= to… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor — (v.) early 16c., altered by folk etymology from curry favel (c.1400) from O.Fr. correier fauvel to be false, hypocritical, lit. to curry the chestnut horse, which in medieval French allegories was a symbol of cunning and deceit. See CURRY (Cf.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • curry favor — {v.} To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. * /Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want./ * /Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • curry favor — {v.} To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. * /Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want./ * /Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • curry\ favor — v To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want. Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the prettiest girl… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • curry favor — (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) v. to try to win someone over through flattery. I was sickened by his attempts to curry favor with the governor. SYN.: flatter, fawn over, stroke, *kiss up to, *brownnose, *bootlick, praise, *fall all… …   English dictionary for students

  • curry favor — flatter someone to get his help or friendship He has been working hard to curry favor with the other members of the committee …   Idioms and examples

  • curry favor with someone — curry favor (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor with — curry favor (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor — phrasal Etymology: Middle English currayen favel to curry a chestnut horse to seek to gain favor by flattery or attention …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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