curried favour
Played the sycophant
Curried favour means sought approval through flattery or ingratiation.
The phrase comes from a medieval French satire about grooming a horse named Fauvel, symbol of cunning and duplicity—to curry (groom) Fauvel was to flatter deceit itself.
The spelling shifted to favour, which made more intuitive sense.
He curried favour with the boss by laughing at every joke.
- flatterPraise to please
- cajolePersuade through flattery
- butter upFlatter insincerely for advantage
- buttering upExcessive flattery for advantage
- kiss upFlatter obsequiously for gain
sycophancy · kowtow · yes man · opportunism · pander · wheedle · suck up · favoritism · grovel · nepotism · schmooze · self-interest · brown-nose · brown nosing · apple-polish · social climbing · play the game · political maneuvering
curried favourburned bridges
Destroyed relationships permanently
rebelled · dissented · stood one's ground · pushed back · resisted
curry, curried, currying, curries, favour, favor, favoured, favored, favouring