smarmn.
/smɑːm/, U.S. /smɑrm/ colloquial.
An unctuous bearing; fulsome flattery; flattering or toadying behaviour.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > [noun]
fickling?c1225
flattering?c1225
oluhningc1225
glozec1290
glozing1297
losengery1303
blandishingc1305
blandingc1315
flatteryc1320
glotheringc1325
soothinga1400
honey word?1406
faginga1425
flatrisec1440
smekingc1440
blandishc1475
blandiment?1510
glavering1545
coggingc1555
good1563
milksop1577
court holy water1583
glavery1583
blandishment1591
lipsalve1591
court holy bread1592
flatter1593
colloguing1596
sooth1597
daub?1602
blandation1605
lullaby1611
court-water1616
butter1618
blandiloquy1623
oil1645
court-element1649
courtshipment1649
courtship1655
blandiloquence1656
court-creama1657
daubing1656
fleecha1700
Spanish money1699
cajole1719
whiting1721
palaver1733
butter boat1747
flummery1749
treacle1771
Spanish coin1785
blancmange1790
blarney1796
soft corn1814
whillywha1816
carney1818
buttering up1819
soft soap1821
flam1825
slaver1825
soft solder1836
soothing syrup1839
soft-soaping1840
plámás1853
sawder1854
soap1854
salve1859
taffy1878
plámásing1897
flannel1927
smarm1937
flannelling1945
sweet talk1945
schmear1950
smarming1950
1937 H. C. Bailey Clunk's Claimant xiii. 84 That smarm of holiness..was pretty near the ruddy limit.
1962 M. Urquhart Frail on North Circular xiii. 72 ‘That's a nice new hair-do, Lil.’.. ‘Don't come your smarm with me.’
1966 C. Fenn Pyramid of Night iii. 60 The manager escorted her right to the door. There was no doubt that this kind of smarm was cute.
1969 B. Cobb Scandal at Scotland Yard xvi. 154 He was ready to turn on the smarm with the ‘Kiss and be friends again’ talk.
1978 Guardian Weekly 19 Feb. 22/1 ‘George’ did this, ‘George’ did that, all the way through. ‘George’ is the victim of bonhomie and smarm.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
smarmv.
/smɑːm/, U.S. /smɑrm/ colloquial (originally dialect)
1.
a. dialect. To smear, bedaub.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirt > soiled condition > soil [verb (transitive)] > smear
smear971
besmearc1050
slobber1529
slubber1530
smore1530
to-ray1562
slubbera1586
blur1592
beblur1598
beslubber1598
besmother1598
besmouche1600
slur1602
illine1615
slerga1758
slaister1773
gaum?1825
smarm1847
slob1851
maum1888
1847 J. O. Halliwell Dict. Archaic & Provinc. Words II Smawm, to smear. Dorset.
1890 Jessop Trials Country Parson iv. 160 Mummies smalmed over with tawdry pigments.
b. To make smooth with an oily or greasy substance; to smooth or slick down. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > shape > flatness or levelness > smoothness > make smooth [verb (transitive)] > make smooth and polished or glossy > with an oily substance
smarm1937
1937 R. Kipling Something of Myself viii. 211 The Provincial Press has been syndicated, standardized, and smarmed down out of individuality.
1953 Chambers's Jrnl. June 356/1 I remembered in time the need to attach a canvas, oil-filled bag to the sea-anchor, so that the thin trickle of oil would smalm the crippling seas.
1977 [see smarmed adj. at Derivatives]. c. To treat in a wheedling, flattering way.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > flatter [verb (transitive)]
flatter?c1225
flackera1250
slickc1250
blandishc1305
blandc1315
glozec1330
beflatter1340
curryc1394
elkena1400
glaverc1400
anointa1425
glotherc1480
losenge1480
painta1513
to hold in halsc1560
soothe1580
smooth1584
smooth1591
soothe1601
pepper1654
palp1657
smoothify1694
butter1700
asperse1702
palaver1713
blarney1834
sawder1834
soft-soap1835
to cock up1838
soft-solder1838
soother1842
behoney1845
soap1853
beslaver1861
beslobber1868
smarm1902
sugar1923
sweetmouth1948
smooth-talk1950
1902 Little Folks Mar. 221/2 You can go and smarm him over if you want to.
2.
a. intransitive. To behave in a fulsomely flattering or toadying manner, to suck up to a person. Also with about, over.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > flatter servilely or curry favour [verb (intransitive)]
fain?c1225
fawnc1325
to make placebo1340
fagea1382
curryc1400
to curry favela1420
to claw (a person's) toea1500
to curry favour?1518
to be at the school of placebo1554
to play (with) placebo1583
insinuatea1593
wriggle1601
lick1602
sycophantize1605
gnathonize1619
pickthank1621
supparasitate1623
ingratiate1647
slaver1730
toad-eat1766
slaum1787
to eat (any one's) toads1788
toad1802
bootlick1846
toady1861
to suck in1899
smoodge1906
smarm1911
arse-lick1928
bum-suck1930
to suck round1931
ass-lick1937
brown-nose1939
suck-hole1961
weasel1980
1911 O. Onions Widdershins ix. 265 It had been the usual thing..twenty years ago—smarming about Art and the Arts.
1920 ‘O. Douglas’ Penny Plain xx. 218 The people you try to help will smarm to your face and black~guard you behind your back.
1923 U. L. Silberrad Lett. Jean Armiter ix. §2 She brags, and she smarms, and she lies.
1924 H. de Sélincourt Cricket Match v. 184 Loving her to tease him..and not sort of smalm over him like some chaps' maters did.
1928 A. P. Herbert Trials of Topsy xxiii. 138 I will not spend week-ends smarming about in your ulcerated town.
1942 G. R. Gilbert Free to Laugh & Dance vi. 29 The..children of his two previous marriages were indignant but they couldn't do anything about it, they all hanging round and smarming up to the old man, and his marrying again in spite of them.
1950 J. Cannan Murder Included vi. 108 Murder was the last thing that a toady like that doctor would look for in the family he smarmed over.
1960 F. Raphael Limits of Love iii. vi. 343 Dulles and Eden were smarming up to Nasser.
b. to smarm one's way: to make one's way by flattery or toadying.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > flatter [verb (intransitive)] > make one's way by flattery
to smarm one's way1940
1940 G. D. H. Cole & M. Cole Counterpoint Murder i. 15 I am going to report you to Mr. Marston. So it's no use you thinking you can smarm your way out of it.
1975 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 June 692/4 He is as convincing an uncaught villain as any in crime fiction; cautious and false, smarming his way into the upper reaches of such a society as only such a man would seek to crawl into.
Derivatives
smarmed adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > beautification of the hair > styles of hair > [adjective] > smoothed
sleek1829
oiled-down1907
slicked1921
smarmed1953
1953 Landfall June 126 He twitted me about my orange brogues, my smarmed-down hair, my nervous attempts at wit.
1977 M. Kenyon Rapist i. 5 The rapist looked in the looking-glass at the smarmed hair.
ˈsmarming n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > [noun]
fickling?c1225
flattering?c1225
oluhningc1225
glozec1290
glozing1297
losengery1303
blandishingc1305
blandingc1315
flatteryc1320
glotheringc1325
soothinga1400
honey word?1406
faginga1425
flatrisec1440
smekingc1440
blandishc1475
blandiment?1510
glavering1545
coggingc1555
good1563
milksop1577
court holy water1583
glavery1583
blandishment1591
lipsalve1591
court holy bread1592
flatter1593
colloguing1596
sooth1597
daub?1602
blandation1605
lullaby1611
court-water1616
butter1618
blandiloquy1623
oil1645
court-element1649
courtshipment1649
courtship1655
blandiloquence1656
court-creama1657
daubing1656
fleecha1700
Spanish money1699
cajole1719
whiting1721
palaver1733
butter boat1747
flummery1749
treacle1771
Spanish coin1785
blancmange1790
blarney1796
soft corn1814
whillywha1816
carney1818
buttering up1819
soft soap1821
flam1825
slaver1825
soft solder1836
soothing syrup1839
soft-soaping1840
plámás1853
sawder1854
soap1854
salve1859
taffy1878
plámásing1897
flannel1927
smarm1937
flannelling1945
sweet talk1945
schmear1950
smarming1950
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > [adjective]
ficklinga1240
glozing1297
blandingc1315
blandishingc1374
glaveringc1394
fleering?a1400
sleekedc1400
faginga1425
smoothc1450
flattering1484
cogging1542
flatterous1546
butterya1585
smooth-tongueda1593
oily1598
silken1598
slick-tongued1598
soothing1599
sleek1601
slick1606
blandiloquous1615
supellectile1615
colloguing1620
losengeous1632
oiled-tongued1632
daubing1655
blandiloquious1689
smooth-booted1706
palavering1764
pill-gilding1764
oily-tongued1788
buttering1789
sleeky1810
smooth-spoken1821
oleaginous1833
butteraceous1837
saponaceous1837
soft-soapy1849
soapy1854
blarneying1884
smarmy1924
sweet-talking1956
smoothie1959
smarming1970
blandiloquent-
1950 J. Cannan Murder Included ii. 22 Bunny strove to use tact and courtesy: Elizabeth accused her of ‘smarming’.
1957 L. Durrell Justine ii. 143 He is a complete parvenu of course and rose on..judicious smarming of powerful people.
1970 E. Berckman She asked for It ix. 108 It's wonderful how greedy people are for these smarming little compliments.
1974 D. Gray Dead Give Away iii. 31 He hated her smarming ways.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1937v.1847