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  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

sich anbiedern

English translation: ingratiate oneself with, suck up to sb.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:sich anbiedern
English translation:ingratiate oneself with, suck up to sb.
Entered by: OlafK

22:53 Jan 8, 2003
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
German term or phrase: sich anbiedern
no particular context, I would just like to know how you would translate it, for example in, "Er biederte sich bei ihr an."
OlafK
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:00
to suck up to / to lick up to / to bootlick
Explanation:
I understand it to refer to someone who uses flattery in the hope of gaining favours, IOW a lickarse / arse-licker / bootlicker etc.

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Note added at 2003-01-09 00:16:09 (GMT)
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to ingratiate oneself with someone
Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 12:00
Grading comment
Thanks, Cilian, and everybody else. You have been very helpful. My dictionary had "curry favour" which I had never heard (and "ingratiate oneself" vor "sich einschmeicheln" which I was familiar with) but "to suck up to sb" was the expression I was looking for but couldn't think of. It is certainly colloquial. But it doesn't sound vulgar to me. Has watching British TV made me insensitive?
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7to suck up to / to lick up to / to bootlick
Cilian O'Tuama
5 +2to try to get pally with sb.
Johannes Gleim
4 +2to get friendly / to get chummy
swisstell
5to make friends with
Pro Lingua
4He is playing up to me.
Hans Rosler
3fawn on sby
Yngve Roennike


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to get friendly / to get chummy


Explanation:
the first is nicer and more positive than the second

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 12:00
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 6

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ellen Zittinger
42 mins
agree  sylvie malich (X)
12 hrs
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
He is playing up to me.


Explanation:
anbiedern is not a very frequently used word anymore. Usually it has a negative ring to it.

Hans Rosler
Ireland
Local time: 11:00
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
to make friends with


Explanation:
sich anbiedern an - to make friends with; to intrude on; to chum up with (fam)

Ref.: Pons

Pro Lingua
Local time: 12:00
Native speaker of: Slovak
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to try to get pally with sb.


Explanation:
alternatives:
to curry favour,
to chat up


    Collins: German Dictionary
Johannes Gleim
Local time: 12:00
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sheila Hardie: I was just going to say 'to curry favour with someone' :-)
0 min
  -> thank you
agree  sylvie malich (X)
12 hrs
  -> thank you, too
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
to suck up to / to lick up to / to bootlick


Explanation:
I understand it to refer to someone who uses flattery in the hope of gaining favours, IOW a lickarse / arse-licker / bootlicker etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-09 00:16:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

to ingratiate oneself with someone

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 12:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 109
Grading comment
Thanks, Cilian, and everybody else. You have been very helpful. My dictionary had "curry favour" which I had never heard (and "ingratiate oneself" vor "sich einschmeicheln" which I was familiar with) but "to suck up to sb" was the expression I was looking for but couldn't think of. It is certainly colloquial. But it doesn't sound vulgar to me. Has watching British TV made me insensitive?

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Melissa Field: w/ingratiate. For the more vulgar terms, we'd say he's kissing up to her (or kissing butt!)
1 hr
agree  Chris Rowson (X)
2 hrs
agree  Norbert Hermann
4 hrs
neutral  Yngve Roennike: but isn't this the kind of the wrong register, unless you really want to rub it in?
7 hrs
agree  schnuppe
7 hrs
agree  Klaus Herrmann: with ingratiate. It's wrong register but brownnosing deserves a mention.
7 hrs
agree  Nicole Tata
9 hrs
agree  Steffen Walter: Well, nobody knows for sure what register should be chosen here - both the more vulgar and the more civilised are possible (see Olaf's comment in his question).
10 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
fawn on sby


Explanation:
very common expression.

To act servilely; cringe and flatter.

Yngve Roennike
Local time: 06:00
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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