curries favour
Ingratiates through sycophancy
To curry favour is to ingratiate oneself through flattery or obsequious behavior: He curried favour with the boss by laughing at every joke.
The phrase comes from a medieval French expression about grooming a horse, though the connection to flattery is now obscure.
Also spelled curry favor (American) or curry favours.
- complimentWords expressing approval
- ingratiateSeek another's approval
- manipulateControl through clever influence
- kiss upFlatter obsequiously for gain
- brown-noseFawn obsequiously for advantage
wheedle · butter up · praise · persuade · submission · cajole · schmooze · sycophancy · idiom · servility · medieval history · deference · flatter · fawn over · play up to · coax · hierarchy · sweet-talk