brownnose

See also: brown-nose

English

Etymology

brown +‎ nose; scatological.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Noun

brownnose (plural brownnoses)

1. (figuratively) One who sucks up; a bootlicker, ass-kisser, sycophant.
   • 1997 Ulrich Herbert, Hitler's foreign workers: enforced foreign labor in Germany under the Third Reich, Cambridge University Press, p126

     A workmate reported the matter, "which is why the worker threatened to beat up the latter," calling him a "brownnose" and threatening to "wipe the floor with him."

   • 2007 Felicity Young, An Easeful Death, Fremantle Press, p13

     'I know, he's a natural brownnose. I guess he does have some talents.'

   • 2010 Joseph Morse, Gods of Ruin: A Political Thriller, p46

     You don't have to be such a brownnose, at least not to me.

Synonyms

• brown noser

Translations

one who brownnoses

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 擦鞋仔 (caat³ haai⁴ zai²)

  Mandarin: 巴兒狗 (zh), 巴儿狗 (zh) (bārgǒu)

• Dutch: kontkusser
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: ruskeakielinen
• French: lèche-bottes (fr), lèche-cul (fr), cireur de pompes m, cire-pompes (fr) m or f
• German: Arschkriecher (de) m, Speichellecker (de) m, Schleimer (de) m
• Greek: κωλογλείφτης (el) m (kologleíftis), σφουγγοκωλάριος (el) m (sfoungokolários)
• Hungarian: seggnyaló (hu)
• Italian: leccaculo (it) m, leccapiedi m
• Japanese: ゴマすり (gomasuri)
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: wdupowłaz m
• Portuguese: puxa-saco (pt) m or f, lambe-botas (pt) m or f
• Romanian: lingău (ro) m, pupincurist m
• Russian: подхали́м (ru) m (podxalím), лизоблю́д (ru) m (lizobljúd), жополи́з (ru) m (žopolíz)
• Serbo-Croatian: dupelizac (sh), uvlakač
• Spanish: pelota (es) m or f, chupamedias (es) m or f, lameculos (es) m or f, estómago agradecido m
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

Verb

brownnose (third-person singular simple present brownnoses, present participle brownnosing, simple past and past participle brownnosed)

1. To flatter someone (especially a superior) in an obsequious manner, and to support their every opinion.

Related terms

• brownnoser, brown noser, brown-noser

Translations

to flatter in obsequious manner

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 擦鞋 (caat³ haai⁴)

  Mandarin: 拍馬屁 (zh), 拍马屁 (zh) (pāi mǎpì), 拍馬 (zh), 拍马 (zh) (pāimǎ)

• Finnish: mielistellä (fi)
• French: lécher le cul (fr) (vulgar), flagorner (fr) (literary), cirer les pompes (fr) (colloquial), lécher les bottes (fr) (colloquial)
• German: schleimen (de)
• Italian: leccare il culo (vulgar), leccare i piedi, fare il ruffiano
• Korean: 빨다 (ko) (ppalda) (vulgar)
• Norwegian: smiske, pisse oppetter ryggen, sleike oppetter ryggen
• Polish: włazić w dupę (pl) impf, lizać dupę impf
• Russian: лиза́ть за́дницу (lizátʹ zádnicu)
• Spanish: hacer la pelota, pelotear (es), lamer el culo (es)

fawn — see fawn