acquaintance

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!

a nodding acquaintance

A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a nodding acquaintance with property laws. I have a nodding acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.

a nodding acquaintance with (someone or something)

a passing acquaintance with (someone or something)

A very limited knowledge of or familiarity with a given person or thing. I'll help you as best I can, but I only have a passing acquaintance with property laws. I have a passing acquaintance with him, but I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him to help me on this project.

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. A: "You must be Jenny. It's so nice to meet you." B: "Delighted to make your acquaintance."

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.

See also: acquaintance, have, nod, someone

make (someone's) acquaintance

To meet someone for the first time. After hearing so many good things about you, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. I heard that she's a very influential producer, so I'm very eager to make her acquaintance.

scrape acquaintance with (someone)

old-fashioned To attempt to meet or befriend someone, especially because they may prove useful to one's needs, ambitions, or desires. He is constantly contriving ways to get into these parties so he can scrape acquaintance with someone from the film industry. It's been interesting to watch the people who tried to scrape acquaintance with her as her political career was on the rise just as quickly dissociate themselves from her in the midst of all this scandal.

scrape up an acquaintance with (someone)

old-fashioned To attempt to meet or befriend someone, especially because they may prove useful to one's needs, ambitions, or desires. He is constantly contriving ways to get into these parties so he can scrape up an acquaintance with someone from the film industry. It's been interesting to watch the people who tried to scrape up an acquaintance with her as her political career was on the rise just as quickly dissociate themselves from her in the midst of all this scandal.

(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.

See also: acquaintance, passing, someone

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

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

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, someone, 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

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

make (someone's) acquaintance

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

nodding acquaintance, a

Superficial knowledge. An early nineteenth-century term, it conjures up the era when the formal bow was a normal greeting. Thomas Hughes used it in Tom Brown at Oxford (1861): “Many with whom he had scarcely a nodding acquaintance.”

See also: nod

See also:

References in periodicals archive ?

Why not invite the said teacher colleague over and get her and the 'awry' pronouncing acquaintance together.

Turning a deaf ear, to be nice

The boy was taken care of by his mother's acquaintance, 32-year-old divorced mother of 3 children.

UNICEF calls for guardianship for children of migrants in Kyrgyzstan

My newspaper life has opened doors to so many new friends, acquaintances and supporters through the years, beginning in 1956, than I knew possible.

Newspaper business opens doors to new acquaintances

Siguro acquaintance. Siguro bumaba ng ilan levels,' he said.

Trillanes: Friendship over between him and Roque

The report said that in 48pc of cases the abuse was committed by acquaintances, in 14pc it was committed by acquaintances with strangers, in 11pc it was committed by strangers and in 12pc of cases the identity of the abuser was not mentioned.

More than 12 children abused every day in first half of 2018: report

During an acquaintance meeting with the management and board of the NDMA held at the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Thursday, May 3, 2018, the donors advanced several recommendations aimed at strengthening the disaster agency.

NDMA to get donor funding

A sum of 448 children are abused at their homes, 410 at acquaintance's places, 30 at havelis, 26 at seminaries, 14 at workplaces and 529 at open places including fields, streets etc.'

3,445 children 'sexually assaulted' in last year

15 percent of the crimes werecommitted at the victim's own place, while 12 percent took place at an acquaintance's abode.The report further paints a bleak picture of child security in Pakistan by revealing that a 100 percent increase in child abuse by landlords was observed in 2017.Out of the total cases of child abuse from January to June 2017, 62 percent were reported from Punjab, 27 percent from Sindh, 76 percentfrom Balochistan, 58 percent from FATA, 42 percent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and ninepercent from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Medical report confirms sexual abuse of two-year-old child in Lodhran

A complaint has been filed against singer Park Yu-chun, member of popular K-pop trio JYJ, by an acquaintance who claims he was bitten by Park's family dog in 2011, according to police and the entertainment circle Wednesday.

K-pop band JYJ's Park Yu-chun accused of dog bite seven years ago

On Thursday night, a 46-year-old resident of Lakatamia had arranged to meet an acquaintance of his in Oroklini.

Sawn-off gun may have been used in attack last week

Pursuant to your questions, we assume that your acquaintance is an unmarried woman residing in the UAE under the sponsorship of her father.

Approach cops if parents violate human rights of their kids

Islamabad -- The Supreme Court has admitted the application of acquaintance for hearing filed by accused Mujeeb in drug smuggling case.

SC admits acquaintance application of accused

A MASKED robber armed with a knife who barged into a Cardiff shop demanding cash, vodka and cigarettes has been jailed after his boasts about the crime saw an acquaintance contact police.

Knifeman bragged about his robbery

In an interview with the 30th International Film Festival for Children and Youth said: "Iranian films I watched, left a strong impression on me that I intend to continue my acquaintance with the Iranian cinema.