scrape up an acquaintance with (someone)
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.
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.
- scrape acquaintance with
- scrape acquaintance with (someone)
- scrape an acquaintance with somebody
- scrape up an acquaintance
- in the train of (someone)
- What say (one)?
- What say you?
- What say?
- Mrs. Astor's pet horse
- pet