buddy up

1. To pair together with someone. OK, kids, buddy up and start working on the assignment. We all had to buddy up with a classmate before we were allowed to board the bus. The kids buddied up and walked hand in hand across the street.

2. To be overly or obnoxiously friendly with someone, often for personal gain. He's clearly buddying up to the teacher so that she'll relent and give him extra credit. The new guy needs to calm down and stop trying so hard to buddy up with us. That jerk always buddies up to people in the office—and then starts complaining about them as soon as they walk away.

See also: buddy, up

buddy up (with someone)

to join with another person to form a pair that will do something together or share something. I buddied up with Carl, and we helped each other on the hike. Carl and I buddied up, and we shared a canoe.

See also: buddy, up

buddy up

Be very friendly, as in He is always wanting to buddy up with me, but I don't really like him. [Slang; early 1900s]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

buddy up

1. To pair up and work closely with someone: Each camper had to buddy up with a friend when swimming. The students buddied up when asked to select locker partners.

2. buddy up to To become overly friendly or familiar with someone, especially in order to gain his or her favor: The new worker buddied up to the office secretary.

See also: buddy, up

buddy up

verb

See buddy up with someone

See also: buddy, up

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