apple-polishing
Excessive insincere praise
Apple-polishing is currying favor through flattery or small attentions, especially toward someone in authority.
The term evokes a student bringing a shiny apple to the teacher.
An apple-polisher is a sycophant or brown-noser: His promotion had more to do with apple-polishing than actual performance.
Obsequious behavior toward authority
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- brown-nosingObsequious flattery for favor
obsequiousness · ingratiation · kowtowing · sweet-talk · soft-soap · blarney · schmoozing · smooth-talking
sycophancy
Obsequious behavior toward authority
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
brown-nosing · obsequiousness · ingratiation · kowtowing · sweet-talk · soft-soap · blarney · schmoozing · smooth-talking · smarm
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- selfishnessselfishness, greed, egoism, narcissism, self-centeredness
- submissivesubmissive, subservient, obedient, servile, docile
apple-polishingcandor
Unguarded truthfulness
frankness · straight talk · authenticity · bluntness · unvarnished truth
apple-polishingdefiance
Open resistance to authority
insubordination · rebelliousness · talking back · dissent · impertinence
polish, apple, polished, polishing, apples, unpolished, polisher, polishers, apple-polisher