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]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I never really had much time for that nonsense. I was trying to get things done, not polish the apple.”

From

English A1: "The ability to polish the apple is a great asset."

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