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polisher

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apple polisher

A flatterer. (Apples are a typical gift for teachers.) That kid is always quick to help the teacher with any little thing—what an apple polisher!

See also: apple, polisher

apple-polisher

Fig. a flatterer. Doesn't that wimpy apple-polisher know how stupid he looks? Everybody at my office seems to be an apple-polisher but me.

polish the apple

Try to win favor through flattery, as in It may help your standing with the boss if you polish the apple. This expression gave rise to the phrase apple polishing. The idiom alludes to the practice of schoolchildren bringing their teacher the gift of a bright, shiny apple. [c. 1920]

See also: apple, polish

apple-polisher

n. a flatterer. Everybody at the office seems to be an apple-polisher but me.