teacher's pet

teacher's pet

1. A derogatory term for a teacher's favorite or favored student, typically one who has sought such favor by being ingratiatingly obedient. Jill's classmates called her a teacher's pet after she volunteered to supervise the class while the teacher was away. Being the teacher's pet will get you nowhere when the midterm exam rolls around.
2. By extension, a derogatory term for someone who has gained or attempts to gain the favor of an authority figure, typically in order to obtain preferential treatment. Jeff is the resident teacher's pet in the office. He brings the boss coffee every day.
See also: pet
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*teacher's pet

the teacher's favorite student. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) Sally is the teacher's pet. She always gets special treatment. The other students don't like the teacher's pet.
See also: pet
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

teacher's pet

A person who has gained favor with authority, as in Al has managed to be teacher's pet in any job he has held. This expression transfers the original sense of a teacher's favorite pupil to broader use. [1920s]
See also: pet
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

teacher's pet

Someone who seeks preferential treatment. A derisive epithet hurled at a student who tries to curry a teacher's favor in hopes of a better grade. Such a charge, valid or not, often led to cloakroom or schoolyard challenges and bloody noses. Outside of school, it was applied to people who insinuated themselves to authority in the hope of special treatment. The French equivalent is “teacher's little cabbage.”
See also: pet
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • blob
  • nut factory
  • nut-foundry
  • nuthatch
  • nuthouse
  • foundry
  • bull-dagger
  • bulldiker
  • bulldyker
References in periodicals archive
These terms more or less described the same group of kids that we called "teacher's pets" back in school.
Time to become a mentor
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has launched a scathing attack on England's World Cup hopes and dismissed Gareth Barry as a "teacher's pet".
Barton's astonishing attack on Barry
It is evident that the Diesel students are an enthusiastic bunch--all the work done in building Teacher's Pet and Late Assignment was done during students' spare time not during class time.
Getting careers in gear at Parkland College: Parkland College continues to move ahead with an innovative and diversified curriculum while laying valuable groundwork for future success in the neighboring high school classrooms by providing the option of dual credit programs
The store, called Teacher's Pet, sells used school supplies at a discount to help instructors stay within their tight budgets, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Filling the gap with used school supplies
According to the Washington Post, Los Angeles artist Gary Baseman, who created the Disney movie "Teacher's Pet," has been commissioned by NASA to create a work celebrating the recent Spirit rover landing on Mars.
While their obsession with the final frontier leaves little room for outside interests, the people at NASA still appreciate the arts
Disney's Teacher's Pet offers a perfect contrast, a hand-drawn cartoon comedy about a talking dog, Spot, who wants to be a human boy, and starts appropriately with an entertaining parody of Pinocchio.
Two movies in contrast: Afghan women under Taliban rule; a talking dog goes to school
A doggone hilarious cartoon extravaganza that may fetch even teens and tweeners who tend to avoid animated fare, "Disney's Teacher's Pet" virtually bursts at the seams with a super-sized abundance of witty wordplay, silly songs and inspired sight gags.
'Pet' project hits the Spot
"I am not Teacher's Pet. My name is Jimmy," Jimmy said.
Just Jimmy
Entertaining as they were, given the wide exposure Teacher's Pet and SquareBob SpongePants can get on YTV or Teletoon, such episodes seemed an unnecessary commercial intrusion into the festival's more independent spirit; although, Genndy Tartakovky's Samurai Jack (Best Television Series) works very well on the big screen.
Ottawa 02 International Animation Festival. (Vancouver)
The cold case came to global attention after it became the subject of investigative podcast, The Teacher's Pet.
Husband of woman at centre of podcast mystery after vanishing in 1982 arrested; The cold case murder is the subject of investigative podcast, The Teacher's Pet, which tells how Chris Dawson moved a 16-year-old girl into his family's home just days after his wife Lynette Dawson went missing in 1982
CHOICE Philip Voss Vicious ITV, 9pm The gang decides to join Ash and Jess at a ballroom dancing class where the nimble Stuart quickly becomes teacher's pet, leaving Freddie in a huff, while Violet becomes a hit with the amorous tutor.
CHOICE Philip Voss Vicious ITV, [...]
Don't confuse that with being teacher's pet - it's OK to be good at what you do.
Libra Sep 23> Oct23
TEACHER'S PET LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra - PS80 from amazon.co.uk A DECENT alternative in the tablet market with specific apps designed by the ever popular LeapFrog brand.
Six of the best tech for tots; There's no denying that five-and-unders, and their jam-laden fingers, have an eye for shiny devices. If you want to keep your own tech sticky-free though, have a look at these top gadgets designed specifically for young children
I could understand it if it was to curry favour, but this largesse is distributed at the end of the school year so there is no chance to become a teacher's pet and receive course marks that reflect such status.
Beware pupils bearing gifts
It's pounds 6.12, and you just became teacher's pet.
Beauty school swot; A new autumn term means a new set of beauty rules. Get back to class, and repeat these lines, 10 times over..