curry favour

Related to curry favour: curry favor

curry favor

To ingratiate oneself to someone Flattery won't work; the only way of currying favor with him is through hard work.

See also: curry, favor

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

curry favor

Seek gain or advancement by fawning or flattery, as in Edith was famous for currying favor with her teachers. This expression originally came from the Old French estriller fauvel, "curry the fallow horse," a beast that in a 14th-century allegory stood for duplicity and cunning. It came into English about 1400 as curry favel-that is, curry (groom with a currycomb) the animal-and in the 1500s became the present term.

See also: curry, favor

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

curry favour

ingratiate yourself with someone through obsequious behaviour.

Curry here means ‘groom a horse or other animal’ with a coarse brush or comb. The phrase is an early 16th-century alteration of the Middle English curry favel , Favel (or Fauvel ) being the name of a chestnut horse in an early 14th-century French romance who epitomized cunning and duplicity. From this ‘to groom Favel’ came to mean to use on him the cunning which he personified. It is unclear whether the bad reputation of chestnut horses existed before the French romance, but the idea is also found in 15th-century German in the phrase den fahlen hengst reiten (ride the chestnut horse) meaning ‘behave deceitfully’.

curry ˈfavour (with somebody)

(British English) (American English curry ˈfavor (with somebody)) (disapproving) try to get somebody to like or support you by praising or helping them a lot: They have lowered taxes in an attempt to curry favour with the voters. Curry in this phrase means to groom (= clean and comb) a horse. The phrase was originally ‘curry favel’ (= a light brown horse that was thought to be clever and dishonest) and came to mean to try to please somebody who might be useful to you, especially by doing or saying things that you do not mean or believe.

curry favor

To seek or gain favor by fawning or flattery.

See also: curry, favor

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

curry favor

To ingratiate oneself through flattery or a willingness to please. “Curry” has nothing to do with the spice—it means to groom, as in the horse-keeping currycomb tool. One of the definitions of “stroke” is “suck up to,” and the image is similar—to get on a person's good side, whether or not flattery is warranted. “Favor” was originally “Fauvel,” the donkey who was the rogue hero of a 14th-century French romance. The image of grooming the beast to get on its good side or to win its favor is now the modern use of the word in the phrase.

See also: curry, favor

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

curry favor
curry favor with
curry favor with (one)
curry favor, to
curry
in favor of
in favor of (someone or something)
scratch (one's) back
scratch back
scratch someone's back

References in periodicals archive

Alfonso, within days of Grant's public discussion of Alfonso's economy with the truth, forgot the bad Canada Lands people who were trying to curry favour with him and told anyone who cared to listen that yes, he did call Grant, the chairman of Canada lands, and suggest this was a valuable man with 25 years experience in land issues, and yes it would be a good idea for them to hire his man.

So where is Stevie Cameron when we need her?

This is a move designed to curry favour with the Muslim community which is anti-Labour following Iraq.

George Tyndale: I COULD GO TO JAIL FOR THIS

CHEF Surat Miah didn't have to curry favour with judges in a national competition -- he let his food do all the talking.

Sweet taste of success is spice as nice for top chef Surat

Barcelona accused Moreno of trying to curry favour with the electorate of Quito, the capital city where Deportiva are based and where he is running for office later this year.

Football: Referee is suspended

Barcelona accused Moreno of trying to curry favour with the electorate of Quito, but Moreno has rejected the accusation, saying his performance was down to ``human error''.

Football: WORLD CUP REF IN FIFA PROBE

SIR: At school there was a particularly unpopular boy who when trying to curry favour or make new friends would expose his genitals in the playground.

Letters

As the terrible consequences of his illjudged attack became clear, Mr Pugh raised a point of order designed to curry favour again with the diary and column writers.

Question time; Assembly Westgate

Instead, they increase their share of domestic jobs to curry favour with their wives or girlfriends, mostly before a major sporting event or in advance of a night out with their mates.

Men still shirk house work

Mopeds are more normally used by fast-food delivery firms, but the police feel that the mini motor bikes will CURRY favour with the public.

Moped police have crooks Honda run..

The unnamed firm was also one with a spotty track record, which Dr Mahathir said fuelled suspicions that it was hoping to curry favour in the hopes of swaying federal policy-making in the future.

Dr M explains why Putrajaya snubbed RM100m donation to Tabung Harapan

Have no fear, Daphne, Jess Phillips has a long way to go to restore her credibility and perhaps she has grasped the opportunity to redeem herself, turning up at the planning meeting to register her objection to curry favour with the voters.

Long way to go to restore credibility

Maybe it's a case of Michel Platini (right) trying to curry favour with as many countries as possible.

Bloated Euros a mess

As ever with FIFA, this is all political, a vehicle by which to curry favour from the vast number of countries in Africa and Asia.

40 sides at World Cup is insane

KEEN chefs will be using their culinary skills to curry favour in a special contest.

Curry chefs bid to be top of the popadoms

They suspect Hamas are staging a PR stunt to curry favour after ousting Fatah rivals during days of violence in Gaza.

Alan threat fear

词组	curry favour
释义	curry favour Related to curry favour: curry favor curry favor To ingratiate oneself to someone Flattery won't work; the only way of currying favor with him is through hard work. See also: curry, favor Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. curry favor Seek gain or advancement by fawning or flattery, as in Edith was famous for currying favor with her teachers. This expression originally came from the Old French estriller fauvel, "curry the fallow horse," a beast that in a 14th-century allegory stood for duplicity and cunning. It came into English about 1400 as curry favel-that is, curry (groom with a currycomb) the animal-and in the 1500s became the present term. See also: curry, favor The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. curry favour ingratiate yourself with someone through obsequious behaviour. Curry here means ‘groom a horse or other animal’ with a coarse brush or comb. The phrase is an early 16th-century alteration of the Middle English curry favel , Favel (or Fauvel ) being the name of a chestnut horse in an early 14th-century French romance who epitomized cunning and duplicity. From this ‘to groom Favel’ came to mean to use on him the cunning which he personified. It is unclear whether the bad reputation of chestnut horses existed before the French romance, but the idea is also found in 15th-century German in the phrase den fahlen hengst reiten (ride the chestnut horse) meaning ‘behave deceitfully’. See also: curry, favour Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary curry ˈfavour (with somebody) (British English) (American English curry ˈfavor (with somebody)) (disapproving) try to get somebody to like or support you by praising or helping them a lot: They have lowered taxes in an attempt to curry favour with the voters. Curry in this phrase means to groom (= clean and comb) a horse. The phrase was originally ‘curry favel’ (= a light brown horse that was thought to be clever and dishonest) and came to mean to try to please somebody who might be useful to you, especially by doing or saying things that you do not mean or believe. See also: curry, favour Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary curry favor To seek or gain favor by fawning or flattery. See also: curry, favor American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. curry favor To ingratiate oneself through flattery or a willingness to please. “Curry” has nothing to do with the spice—it means to groom, as in the horse-keeping currycomb tool. One of the definitions of “stroke” is “suck up to,” and the image is similar—to get on a person's good side, whether or not flattery is warranted. “Favor” was originally “Fauvel,” the donkey who was the rogue hero of a 14th-century French romance. The image of grooming the beast to get on its good side or to win its favor is now the modern use of the word in the phrase. See also: curry, favor Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: curry favor curry favor with curry favor with (one) curry favor, to curry in favor of in favor of (someone or something) scratch (one's) back scratch back scratch someone's back References in periodicals archive Alfonso, within days of Grant's public discussion of Alfonso's economy with the truth, forgot the bad Canada Lands people who were trying to curry favour with him and told anyone who cared to listen that yes, he did call Grant, the chairman of Canada lands, and suggest this was a valuable man with 25 years experience in land issues, and yes it would be a good idea for them to hire his man. So where is Stevie Cameron when we need her? This is a move designed to curry favour with the Muslim community which is anti-Labour following Iraq. George Tyndale: I COULD GO TO JAIL FOR THIS CHEF Surat Miah didn't have to curry favour with judges in a national competition -- he let his food do all the talking. Sweet taste of success is spice as nice for top chef Surat Barcelona accused Moreno of trying to curry favour with the electorate of Quito, the capital city where Deportiva are based and where he is running for office later this year. Football: Referee is suspended Barcelona accused Moreno of trying to curry favour with the electorate of Quito, but Moreno has rejected the accusation, saying his performance was down to ``human error''. Football: WORLD CUP REF IN FIFA PROBE SIR: At school there was a particularly unpopular boy who when trying to curry favour or make new friends would expose his genitals in the playground. Letters As the terrible consequences of his illjudged attack became clear, Mr Pugh raised a point of order designed to curry favour again with the diary and column writers. Question time; Assembly Westgate Instead, they increase their share of domestic jobs to curry favour with their wives or girlfriends, mostly before a major sporting event or in advance of a night out with their mates. Men still shirk house work Mopeds are more normally used by fast-food delivery firms, but the police feel that the mini motor bikes will CURRY favour with the public. Moped police have crooks Honda run.. The unnamed firm was also one with a spotty track record, which Dr Mahathir said fuelled suspicions that it was hoping to curry favour in the hopes of swaying federal policy-making in the future. Dr M explains why Putrajaya snubbed RM100m donation to Tabung Harapan Have no fear, Daphne, Jess Phillips has a long way to go to restore her credibility and perhaps she has grasped the opportunity to redeem herself, turning up at the planning meeting to register her objection to curry favour with the voters. Long way to go to restore credibility Maybe it's a case of Michel Platini (right) trying to curry favour with as many countries as possible. Bloated Euros a mess As ever with FIFA, this is all political, a vehicle by which to curry favour from the vast number of countries in Africa and Asia. 40 sides at World Cup is insane KEEN chefs will be using their culinary skills to curry favour in a special contest. Curry chefs bid to be top of the popadoms They suspect Hamas are staging a PR stunt to curry favour after ousting Fatah rivals during days of violence in Gaza. Alan threat fear
随便看	on (one's) tod on (one's) toes on one's toes on one's toes, to be on (one's) trail on (one's) uppers not getting any younger not give not give a continental not give a damn not give a damn about (someone or something) (not) give a fig not give a fig not give a fig about (someone or something) not give a hang (about something) not give a hoot not give a hoot (about something) not give a monkey's not give a monkey's fart (about something) not give an inch not give anyone the time of day not give a rap about (someone or something) not give a rat's arse (about something) not give a rat's ass not give a rat's ass for/about (something or someone)