kiss ass

Idioms and Phrases

Also, kiss up to . Seek or gain favor by fawning or flattery, as in I am not going to kiss as to get the raise I deserve , or If I could find a good way to kiss up to the publisher, my book would be well promoted . The first, a vulgar slangy usage, was first recorded in 1705 as kiss arse , which is still the British usage. The variant, a euphemistic blend of kiss ass and suck up to , dates from the late 1900s.