Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
We Speak. I'm Feifei...
Rob: ...and hello, I'm Rob. Erm, Feifei, why
were you in the cafe with the boss earlier?
Feifei: Was I?
Rob: Come on. I saw you having lunch
with the boss. Nobody ever
has lunch with him.
Feifei: OK, I admit it. I was having lunch
with the boss. What's wrong with that?
Rob: Well, we all know there is
a promotion in the department on offer -
and you are obviously trying
to curry favour with the boss so that
you get the job. Honestly!
Feifei: Hold on. I can assure you I was
NOT having curry with the boss -
it was just a sandwich.
Rob: Feifei, if you 'curry favour with
someone' you are not eating curry.
It means you are 'trying to get someone -
the boss - to like you or even give you
something'. Something
like a promotion.
Feifei: I was not! But I like the expression.
Rob: OK. Well, let's hear some examples
of people currying favour with someone else...
I know what you're up to! You're trying to
curry favour with the manager by telling
her what a great job she's doing!
The company tried to curry favour with its
employees by giving them all a pay rise.
He's trying to get free tickets to the gig
by currying favour with the tour manager -
it won't work!
Feifei: This is The English We Speak from
BBC Learning English and we're talking
about the phrase 'to curry favour (with
someone)' which means to try and get
someone to like
you or give you something.
Rob: Another way of saying it is you are
'trying to keep in with' someone.
Feifei: It's all a bit false, Rob, trying
to make someone like you - which is why I
was NOT trying to curry favour
with the boss.
Rob: You won't get the promotion anyway.
Feifei: We were actually talking about you!
Rob: Oh yes?
Feifei: He wanted my advice on whether
he should give the promotion to you.
Rob: To me! Well, come on then,
what did he say?
Feifei: You'll need to curry favour with me,
if you want to know that!
Rob: How about dinner? I know a nice
little curry house just round the corner.
Feifei: Bye.
Rob: Bye bye.