acquaintance
a nodding acquaintance
A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a nodding acquaintance with property laws. I have a nodding acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.
See also: acquaintance, nod
a nodding acquaintance with (someone or something)
A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a nodding acquaintance with property laws. I have a nodding acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.
See also: acquaintance, nod
a passing acquaintance with (someone or something)
A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a passing acquaintance with property laws. I have a passing acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.
See also: acquaintance, passing
delighted to make your acquaintance
I'm very happy to meet you. After hearing so many good things about you, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Stu. A: "You must be Jenny. It's so nice to meet you." B: "Delighted to make your acquaintance."
See also: acquaintance, delighted, make
have a nodding acquaintance (with someone or something)
To have a slight or precursory knowledge of someone or something. Jim asked me to help fix his computer for him, but I'm afraid I only have a nodding acquaintance with how his machine works. Ruth and I had only a nodding acquaintance before going to the party, but once we got talking, it was like we'd been friends our whole lives.
See also: acquaintance, have, nod, someone
make (someone's) acquaintance
To meet someone for the first time. After hearing so many good things about you, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. I heard that she's a very influential producer, so I'm very eager to make her acquaintance.
See also: acquaintance, make
scrape acquaintance with (someone)
old-fashioned To attempt to meet or befriend someone, especially because they may prove useful to one's needs, ambitions, or desires. He is constantly contriving ways to get into these parties so he can scrape acquaintance with someone from the film industry. It's been interesting to watch the people who tried to scrape acquaintance with her as her political career was on the rise just as quickly dissociate themselves from her in the midst of all this scandal.
See also: acquaintance, scrape
scrape up an acquaintance with (someone)
old-fashioned To attempt to meet or befriend someone, especially because they may prove useful to one's needs, ambitions, or desires. He is constantly contriving ways to get into these parties so he can scrape up an acquaintance with someone from the film industry. It's been interesting to watch the people who tried to scrape up an acquaintance with her as her political career was on the rise just as quickly dissociate themselves from her in the midst of all this scandal.
See also: acquaintance, scrape, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
(I'm) delighted to make your acquaintance.
Fig. I am very glad to meet you. Tom: My name is Tom. I work in the advertising department. Mary: I'm Mary. I work in accounting. Delighted to make your acquaintance. Tom: Yeah. Good to meet you. Fred: Sue, this is Bob. He'll be working with us on the Wilson project. Sue: I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Bob. Bob: My pleasure.
See also: acquaintance, delighted, make
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
nodding acquaintance
Superficial knowledge of someone or something, as in I have a nodding acquaintance with the company president, or She has a nodding acquaintance with that software program. This expression alludes to knowing someone just well enough to nod or bow upon meeting him or her. "Early 1800s]
See also: acquaintance, nod
scrape up an acquaintance
Make an effort to become familiar with someone, especially for one's own benefit. For example, He scraped up an acquaintance with the college president in hopes of getting his son admitted . This term uses scrape in the sense of "gather with difficulty" (also see under scare up). Originally put as scrape acquaintance, it was first recorded in 1600.
See also: acquaintance, scrape, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
a passing acquaintance with someone
If you have a passing acquaintance with someone, you know them slightly. To those with only a passing acquaintance he is charming and engaging. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with someone. And of course, he can now claim — after his first summit as head of government — more than a nodding acquaintance with his fellow leaders. Note: You can call a person a passing acquaintance or a nodding acquaintance if you know them slightly. He was no more than a passing acquaintance of Wright.
See also: acquaintance, passing, someone
a passing acquaintance with something
If you have a passing acquaintance with something, you only know a little about it. These days a theatre-goer needs more than a passing acquaintance with science. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with something. We chatted for a little about poetry, with which he showed considerably more than a nodding acquaintance.
See also: acquaintance, passing, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
have a nodding acquaintance with someone or something
know someone slightly; know a little about something. 1989 Donnie Radcliffe Simply Barbara Bush Their families had lived less than ten miles apart as they were growing up, and their fathers almost certainly had a nodding acquaintance on the golf course.
See also: acquaintance, have, nod, someone, something
scrape acquaintance with
contrive to get to know. dated 1992 Atlantic I thought how lucky the Crimms were to have scraped acquaintance with me, for I seldom reveal my identity to ordinary people on my jaunts around the world.
See also: acquaintance, scrape
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
make somebody’s acquaintance
,make the acquaintance of somebody
(formal) meet somebody for the first time: I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mrs Baker. I made the acquaintance of several musicians at that time.See also: acquaintance, make
have a nodding acˈquaintance with somebody/something
know somebody slightly/know a little about something: I have a nodding acquaintance with some members of the committee. You need at least a nodding acquaintance with the rules of chess to understand the book.See also: acquaintance, have, nod, somebody, something
scrape (up) an acˈquaintance with somebody
(informal) try to become friends with somebody because they might be useful to youSee also: acquaintance, scrape, somebody
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
make (someone's) acquaintance
To meet someone for the first time: I made his acquaintance at a business conference.
See also: acquaintance, make
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
nodding acquaintance, a
Superficial knowledge. An early nineteenth-century term, it conjures up the era when the formal bow was a normal greeting. Thomas Hughes used it in Tom Brown at Oxford (1861): “Many with whom he had scarcely a nodding acquaintance.”
See also: nod
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a nodding acquaintance
- a nodding acquaintance with (someone or something)
- nodding acquaintance
- nodding acquaintance, a
- a passing acquaintance with (someone or something)
- a passing acquaintance with someone
- a passing acquaintance with something
- be on nodding terms
- be on nodding terms (with someone)
- be on nodding terms with somebody