kiss the necessary backside

English translation: ***

08:01 Jan 25, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
English term or phrase: kiss the necessary backside
"Saaamaaad"--he had a cloying, oleaginous way of speaking--"did you kiss the necessary backside this evening, cousin?"

This is from Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" Chapter 3.
Zhoudan
Local time: 22:32
Selected answer:***
Explanation:
could it mean "kiss somebody's behind" (bottom)? Meaning "did you creep up to whoever, trying to get favours in return".
Selected response from:

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 14:32
Grading comment
Great answer! Thanks a lot
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +16***
Norbert Hermann
4 +5brown-nose influential people
nyamuk


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +16
***


Explanation:
could it mean "kiss somebody's behind" (bottom)? Meaning "did you creep up to whoever, trying to get favours in return".

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 14:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Great answer! Thanks a lot

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michael Deliso: ..agree..(did you kiss the right (behind or ass or butt) this evening?..
21 mins
  -> thanks

agree  Edith Kelly: Moin, Norbert. Up early.
29 mins
  -> Hi Edith - how are things. Has the cold weather front reached you yet? We are in for Siberian temperatures.

agree  sarahl (X): yep... wrong weather to bare your anatomy though.
42 mins
  -> just the thought - brrrh!

agree  jerrie: schmooze, flatter, sychophantic kinda behaviour
59 mins
  -> thanks Jerrie

agree  Annamaria Leone
2 hrs

agree  DGK T-I: absolutely (Jerrie puts it nicely too)
2 hrs

agree  Isodynamia
2 hrs

agree  J. Leo (X)
3 hrs

agree  Rajan Chopra
3 hrs

agree  perke
4 hrs

agree  RHELLER: butter up those in power/ kiss up to/ kiss ass
7 hrs

agree  Tanja Abramovic (X)
12 hrs

agree  Gordon Darroch (X)
1 day 1 hr

agree  Matthew Fagan
3 days 19 hrs

agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
3 days 23 hrs

agree  Rajiv Arora
10 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
brown-nose influential people


Explanation:
kissing butt and brown-nosing mean insinuating yourself upon influential people with the hope of earning favour.

nyamuk
United States
Local time: 08:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Refugio: Wow, I haven't heard the term brown-nosing since the fifties
10 hrs
  -> Nice to know it is enduring

agree  BerylA: another 'crude' way of saying the same thing is 'ass creeping'!
14 hrs
  -> Hmmm stalking for an advance

agree  Ildiko Santana: Where do you live, Ruth?! ;)
16 hrs

agree  Matthew Fagan
3 days 18 hrs

agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
3 days 23 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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