To curry favor

To curry favor
favor fa"vor (f[=a]"v[~e]r), n. [Written also favour.] [OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bh[=a]vaya to further, foster, causative of bh[=u] to become, be. Cf. {Be}. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is prob. for favel a horse. See 2d {Favel}.] 1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [1913 Webster]

Hath crawled into the favor of the king. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending. [1913 Webster]

But found no favor in his lady's eyes. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. --Luke ii. 52. [1913 Webster]

3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration. [1913 Webster]

Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity. [1913 Webster]

I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence. --Swift. [1913 Webster]

5. The object of regard; person or thing favored. [1913 Webster]

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

6. A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding. [1913 Webster]

Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

This boy is fair, of female favor. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

8. (Law) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]

9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received. [1913 Webster]

10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.] --Wright. [1913 Webster]

{Challenge to the favor} or {Challenge for favor} (Law), the challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance, business relation, etc. See {Principal challenge}, under {Challenge}.

{In favor of}, upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of.

{In favor with}, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by.

{To curry favor} [see the etymology of {Favor}, above], to seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities.

{With one's favor}, or {By one's favor}, with leave; by kind permission. [1913 Webster]

But, with your favor, I will treat it here. --Dryden.

Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • curry favor with someone — curry favor (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor with — curry favor (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor — (with (someone)) to try to make someone like you or support you by doing or saying things to please them. The candidate has promised lower taxes in an attempt to curry favor with the voters. Etymology: from the literal meaning of curry (= to… …   New idioms dictionary

  • curry favor — (v.) early 16c., altered by folk etymology from curry favel (c.1400) from O.Fr. correier fauvel to be false, hypocritical, lit. to curry the chestnut horse, which in medieval French allegories was a symbol of cunning and deceit. See CURRY (Cf.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • curry favor — verb seek favor by fawning or flattery This employee is currying favor with his superordinates • Syn: ↑curry favour, ↑court favor, ↑court favour • Hypernyms: ↑fawn, ↑toady, ↑truckle …   Useful english dictionary

  • curry favor — {v.} To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. * /Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want./ * /Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • curry favor — {v.} To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. * /Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want./ * /Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • curry\ favor — v To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn t really want. Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the prettiest girl… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • curry favor — (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) (VOCABULARY WORD) v. to try to win someone over through flattery. I was sickened by his attempts to curry favor with the governor. SYN.: flatter, fawn over, stroke, *kiss up to, *brownnose, *bootlick, praise, *fall all… …   English dictionary for students

  • curry favor — flatter someone to get his help or friendship He has been working hard to curry favor with the other members of the committee …   Idioms and examples

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