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Thread: Brown nose

  1. #1
    Over the top's Avatar
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    Default Brown nose

    Can brown nose be used as a verb? Ex; He brown noses the manager?
    Is there any word which has the same meaning as brown nose?
    Thank you

  2. #2
    freezeframe is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: Brown nose

    Quote Originally Posted by Over the top View Post
    Can brown nose be used as a verb? Ex; He brown noses the manager?

    Yes.


    Is there any word which has the same meaning as brown nose?
    Thank you
    Kiss up
    Bootlick(er)
    Suck up
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    birdeen's call is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: Brown nose

    I don't like "he brown noses" without a hyphen. Is it common?

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    Default Re: Brown nose

    I think your examples are vulgar. Does brown nose have the same sense of kiss up or boot lick
    How to say someone shows affection to someone else to gain advantages without being rude

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    Default Re: Brown nose

    Quote Originally Posted by birdeen's call View Post
    I don't like "he brown noses" without a hyphen. Is it common?
    In my book it's written with a hyphen, brown-nosing
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    freezeframe is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: Brown nose

    Quote Originally Posted by Over the top View Post
    I think your examples are vulgar. Does brown nose have the same sense of kiss up or boot lick
    How to say someone shows affection to someone else to gain advantages without being rude
    My examples are vulgar but "brown-nose" isn't?

    The Mavens' Word of the Day

    The inspiration for this term is the idea that an obsequious sycophant would be willing to kiss the hindquarters of the person being toadied to. The brown is a reference to the excrement with which the nose of the flatterer would be covered.
    But in all seriousness...

    Despite the scatological inspiration of the term brown-nose, it is not considered to be very vulgar or offensive. Some people, unaware or unsure of its origin, don't consider it offensive at all, but at worst I would say that it is only mildly offensive. It is definitely slang, though, so may not be appropriate in many circumstances.
    Suck up, kiss up, and bootlick aren't vulgar either, whatever the inspiration for them might be. You are after all describing a sycophant, which is not a flattering description by any standard.
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    freezeframe is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: Brown nose

    Quote Originally Posted by Over the top View Post
    How to say someone shows affection to someone else to gain advantages without being rude
    I can't think of any flattering way of describing someone who kisses up to curry favours.... it's not considered a positive attribute.
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    Default Re: Brown nose

    Quote Originally Posted by Over the top View Post
    Can brown nose be used as a verb? Ex; He brown noses the manager?
    Is there any word which has the same meaning as brown nose?
    Thank you
    Yes. To kiss ass.
    freezeframe and Over the top like this.

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