apple-polish

v., -ished, -ish·ing, -ish·es.

v.intr.

To seek favor by toadying.

v.tr.

To seek favor with; flatter. See synonyms at fawn¹.

applepolisher apple polisher or ap'ple-pol'ish·er n.

verb

To support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior: bootlick, cringe, fawn, grovel, kowtow, slaver, toady, truckle. Informal brownnose, cotton. Slang suck up. Idioms: curry favor, dance attendance, kiss someone's feet, lick someone's boots. See over/under.

Try to win favor through flattery, as in It may help your standing with the boss if you polish the apple. This expression gave rise to the phrase apple polishing. The idiom alludes to the practice of schoolchildren bringing their teacher the gift of a bright, shiny apple. [c. 1920]

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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - fedte, smiske
v. tr. - fedte for, smiske for

idioms:

• apple polisher    fedtemås, fedterøv, sleskemås

Nederlands (Dutch)
vleien

Français (French)
v. intr. - (US, fig) manier la brosse à reluire (fam)
v. tr. - (US, fig) manier la brosse à reluire (fam)

Deutsch (German)
v. - sich einschmeicheln

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - λιβανίζω, γλείφω

idioms:

• apple polisher    γλοιώδης κόλακας, γλείφτης

Italiano (Italian)
adulare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - bajular

idioms:

• apple-polisher    bajulador (m)

Русский (Russian)
добиваться расположения лестью

idioms:

• apple-polisher    человек, достигающий цели лестью

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - ser adulón o chupamedias
v. tr. - adular, lisonjear

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - fjäska, krusa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
拍马屁, 拍...的马屁

idioms:

• apple polisher    送礼拍马者

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 拍馬屁
v. tr. - 拍...的馬屁

idioms:

• apple polisher    送禮拍馬者

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 비위를 맞추다
v. tr. - 의 비위를 맞추다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ご機嫌を取る, ごまをする

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮החניף‬
v. tr. - ‮התאמץ למצוא חן‬

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