brown-nosing
/ˈbraʊnˌnəʊzɪŋ/
verb (present participle)
Origin
English
brown + nose — vulgar metaphor for sycophancy
Overview
Meaning Now
- The act of behaving obsequiously or ingratiatingly towards someone in a position of authority to gain an advantage.
Literal older meaning
literally having one's nose smeared with excrement
Language path
English
Earliest form
brown-nose
Earliest period
Early 20th century
Journey
The term emerged in the United States military during the mid-20th century. It utilizes a scatological metaphor to describe someone so eager to please a superior that they would figuratively kiss their rear end, thus staining their nose brown.
Evolution
- 1930s
brown-nose
“a sycophant”
Originated as derogatory US military slang.
- 1950s
brown-nosing
“the act of ingratiation”
Transition from noun/adjective to verb form.
Connections
Word parts
brown
root
color
nose
root
facial feature
-ing
suffix
indicates continuous action
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.