acquaintance

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have a nodding acquaintance (with someone or something)

To have a slight or precursory knowledge of someone or something. Jim asked me to help fix his computer for him, but I'm afraid I only have a nodding acquaintance with how his machine works. Ruth and I had only a nodding acquaintance before going to the party, but once we got talking, it was like we'd been friends our whole lives.

delighted to make your acquaintance

I'm very happy to meet you. After hearing so many good things about you, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Stu.

(I'm) delighted to make your acquaintance.

Fig. I am very glad to meet you. Tom: My name is Tom. I work in the advertising department. Mary: I'm Mary. I work in accounting. Delighted to make your acquaintance. Tom: Yeah. Good to meet you. Fred: Sue, this is Bob. He'll be working with us on the Wilson project. Sue: I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Bob. Bob: My pleasure.

nodding acquaintance

Superficial knowledge of someone or something, as in I have a nodding acquaintance with the company president, or She has a nodding acquaintance with that software program. This expression alludes to knowing someone just well enough to nod or bow upon meeting him or her. "Early 1800s]

scrape up an acquaintance

Make an effort to become familiar with someone, especially for one's own benefit. For example, He scraped up an acquaintance with the college president in hopes of getting his son admitted . This term uses scrape in the sense of "gather with difficulty" (also see under scare up). Originally put as scrape acquaintance, it was first recorded in 1600.

a passing acquaintance with someone

If you have a passing acquaintance with someone, you know them slightly. To those with only a passing acquaintance he is charming and engaging. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with someone. And of course, he can now claim — after his first summit as head of government — more than a nodding acquaintance with his fellow leaders. Note: You can call a person a passing acquaintance or a nodding acquaintance if you know them slightly. He was no more than a passing acquaintance of Wright.

a passing acquaintance with something

If you have a passing acquaintance with something, you only know a little about it. These days a theatre-goer needs more than a passing acquaintance with science. Note: You can also say that you have a nodding acquaintance with something. We chatted for a little about poetry, with which he showed considerably more than a nodding acquaintance.

See also: acquaintance, passing, something

have a nodding acquaintance with someone or something

know someone slightly; know a little about something.

1989 Donnie Radcliffe Simply Barbara Bush Their families had lived less than ten miles apart as they were growing up, and their fathers almost certainly had a nodding acquaintance on the golf course.

See also: acquaintance, have, nod, something

scrape acquaintance with

contrive to get to know. dated

1992 Atlantic I thought how lucky the Crimms were to have scraped acquaintance with me, for I seldom reveal my identity to ordinary people on my jaunts around the world.

make somebody’s acquaintance

make the acquaintance of somebody

(formal) meet somebody for the first time: I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Mrs Baker. ♢ I made the acquaintance of several musicians at that time.

have a nodding acˈquaintance with somebody/something

know somebody slightly/know a little about something: I have a nodding acquaintance with some members of the committee. ♢ You need at least a nodding acquaintance with the rules of chess to understand the book.

See also: acquaintance, have, nod, somebody, something

scrape (up) an acˈquaintance with somebody

(informal) try to become friends with somebody because they might be useful to you

See also: acquaintance, scrape, somebody

make (someone's) acquaintance

To meet someone for the first time: I made his acquaintance at a business conference.

See also: acquaintance, make

References in classic literature ?

I never got bored on a trip like this, if I can make acquaintances and have somebody to talk to.

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Her systems have all the unfortunate tendency of setting propriety at nought; and a better acquaintance with the world is what I look forward to as her greatest possible advantage.

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At our time of life it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything.

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Do not, I entreat you, call Anna an acquaintance merely.

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She came up to me, claimed me as an acquaintance, stared me out of countenance; and talked and laughed till I did not know which way to look.

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Mr Elliot had attempted no apology, and shewn himself as unsolicitous of being longer noticed by the family, as Sir Walter considered him unworthy of it: all acquaintance between them had ceased.

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Catherine began to feel something of disappointment -- she was tired of being continually pressed against by people, the generality of whose faces possessed nothing to interest, and with all of whom she was so wholly unacquainted that she could not relieve the irksomeness of imprisonment by the exchange of a syllable with any of her fellow captives; and when at last arrived in the tea-room, she felt yet more the awkwardness of having no party to join, no acquaintance to claim, no gentleman to assist them.

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Coulson, having waved his hand to a few acquaintances and chaffed the Spanish dancing girls in their own language,--not a little to his companion's astonishment,--at last turned to business.

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Several weeks after I had been informed of the engagement, but before it had been convenient for me to make the acquaintance of the young woman and her family, I met one day on Kearney street a handsome but somewhat dissipated-looking man whom something prompted me to follow and watch, which I did without any scruple whatever.

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My mother's odd way of making acquaintance with you.

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Why, a dog, whenever he sees a stranger, is angry; when an acquaintance, he welcomes him, although the one has never done him any harm, nor the other any good.

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Graham's house, nor she mine; but still the ladies continued to talk about her, and still our acquaintance continued, though slowly, to advance.

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All his acquaintance were the acquaintance of Mr Allworthy; and he had no reason to expect any countenance from them, as that gentleman had withdrawn his favour from him.

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But the doctor, a celebrated Petersburg doctor, who was an intimate acquaintance of Alexey Alexandrovitch, took up a great deal of time.

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I was entirely without friends, nay, even so much as without acquaintance, for I found it was absolutely necessary not to revive former acquaintances; and as for my subtle friend that set me up formerly for a fortune, she was dead, and her husband also; as I was informed, upon sending a person unknown to inquire.