To pretend kindness. Cf. fawn, v.1

intransitive. To affect a servile fondness; to court favour or notice by an abject demeanour. Const. on, upon (a person, his looks, etc.).

allusively. to sing (a) placebo: to play the sycophant or flatterer; to be servile. Similarly to play (with) placebo, to make placebo, to be at the s…

intransitive. To cajole, flatter; to behave obsequiously; to speak beguilingly to.

intransitive or absol. To employ flattery or blandishment, so as to cajole or win favour: cf. 5.

to curry favel: to use insincere flattery, or unworthy compliance with the humour of another, in order to gain personal advantage. (Cf. curry-favel…

figurative. to claw the back of, or to claw by the back: to ‘stroke down’, flatter, fawn upon. So to claw (a person's) toe, to claw by the sleeve. Obs…

Later, this phrase was transformed into to curry favour: to seek to win favour, or ingratiate oneself with another, by officious courtesy or…

allusively. to sing (a) placebo: to play the sycophant or flatterer; to be servile. Similarly to play (with) placebo, to make placebo, to be at the s…

allusively. to sing (a) placebo: to play the sycophant or flatterer; to be servile. Similarly to play (with) placebo, to make placebo, to be at the s…

intransitive (for reflexive). To work or wheedle oneself into, to ingratiate oneself with. Obsolete.

To insinuate oneself into favour, place, etc.; to advance, ‘creep’ or get in by wheedling or ingratiation.

transitive. Frequent in phrases expressive of actions referred to allusively or figuratively, as to lick one's fingers, to lick one's lips, an…

To deal in mean or servile flattery.

intransitive. To behave as a ‘Gnatho’ or sycophant, to flatter.

intransitive. To play the part of a pickthank; to curry favour with a person. Also transitive: to obtain by sycophancy.

intransitive. To fawn, flatter.

intransitive (for reflexive)Obsolete.

figurative. To drivel; to fawn. Also with it.

transitive. To flatter, fawn upon (a person); to toady. Also intransitive.

intransitive. To slobber, to blubber; also, to flatter obsequiously.

In various figurative and proverbial uses. to eat (any one's) toads, to be a mean dependant, to toady (see toad-eater, n.). toad under a harrow…

transitive. To act as a toady to; to toady. Also intransitive.

To curry favour (with); to toady (to).

intransitive. To play the servile dependant; to pay deference from interested motives. Const. to.

intransitive. To curry favour with. Scottish.

intransitive. To act in an ingratiating or fawning manner; to display affection, to behave amorously.

intransitive. To behave in a fulsomely flattering or toadying manner, to suck up to a person. Also with about, over.

intransitive. To speak or act in an excessively or insincerely flattering manner, esp. with the aim of gaining favour or advancement. Cf. ass-lick, v.…

intransitive. To behave obsequiously towards someone important or in authority, typically in order to gain favour or personal advantage. Also with up…

intransitive. To go about behaving sycophantically. Occasionally elliptical. Cf. to suck up to at phrasal verbs 2. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.…

intransitive. To curry favour; to be obsequious.

intransitive. To curry favour; to behave obsequiously.

†(a) ? (see quot. 1627); (b) U.S. a whirlpool, a pond; (c) Canadian and Australian slang, a term of abuse (cf. suck, n.1 12); hence as v. intransitive…

To escape from or extricate oneself out (of a situation, obligation, etc.), esp. dishonourably; to welsh on. Also with one's way.