tuft-huntern.
One who meanly or obsequiously courts the acquaintance of persons of rank and title (originally at the universities: see tuft n. 7a, 7b); a toady, sycophant.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [noun] > servile flatterer
papelard1340
placeboc1395
fawnerc1440
pickthank1460
adulator?a1475
earwigc1475
curry-favel1515
men-pleaser1526
gnatho1533
upcreeperc1540
claw-back1549
curry-favourer1563
man-pleaser1564
claw-poll1569
please-man1570
sycophant1575
curry-favour1577
capper1587
insinuator1598
clawera1603
scrape-shoe1607
suck-fist1611
courtiera1616
foot lickera1616
fleerera1627
wriggler1631
fawn1635
limberham1689
toad-eater1742
tuft-hunter1755
arse-kisser1766
sleeve-creeper1809
lick-spit1822
lickspittle1825
shoe-licker1826
toady1826
toad1831
toader1842
bootlicker1846
bootlick1849
favour-currier1855
lubricator1872
bum-sucker1877
handshaker1884
suck1900
mbongo1911
sucker-up1911
apple-polisher1918
snurge1933
ass-licker1939
brown-nose1939
brown-noser1942
arse-licker1951
ass-kisser1951
greaser1959
suck-hole1966
suck-up1970
bumboy1984
fly-
1755 Connoisseur No. 97. ⁋1 I remember to have heard a cousin of mine,..formerly at Cambridge,..mentioning a sect of Philosophers, distinguished by the rest of the collegians under the appellation of Tuft-Hunters. These were..the followers (literally speaking) of the fellow-commoners, noblemen, and other rich students.
1854 W. M. Thackeray Newcomes (1855) II. vii. 68 Some..accused him of being a tuft-hunter and flatterer of the aristocracy.
a1884 M. Pattison Mem. (1885) 4 My father was too proud to be a tuft-hunter.
Derivatives
ˈtuft-ˌhunted adj. sought after by tuft-hunters.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [noun] > one who is servilely flattered
tuft-hunted1849
1849 W. M. Thackeray On Friendship in Wks. (1901) VI. 625 His old acquaintances..set the Tufthunted down as the Tuft-hunter.
1894 G. Du Maurier Trilby II. 95 Little Billee was no tuft-hunter, he was the tuft-hunted.
ˈtuft-ˌhunting n. and adj. (a) n. the practice of a tuft-hunter; (b) adj. that is, or is characteristic of, a tuft-hunter.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [noun]
fawninga1350
adulationc1400
papelardya1425
papelardrya1500
captation1523
clawing1548
insinuation1553
curry-favour1581
man-pleasing1588
courting1607
men-pleasing1615
supparasitation1620
sycophantizing1640
assiduity1641
ingratiating1642
licking1648
man-pleasance1656
sycophancy1657
fawnery1661
sycophantrya1677
nutting1789
tuft-hunting1789
cultivation1793
huggery1804
ingratiation1815
sycophantism1821
lickspittling1839
toadyship1839
toadyism1840
bootlicking1849
toadying1863
arse-licking1912
lickspittle1914
apple-polishing1926
pot-licking1929
brown-nosing1934
ass-kissing1936
arse-kissing1937
ass-licking1946
sucking-up1946
bum-sucking1949
love bomb1975
love-bombing1976
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [adjective]
fikingc1230
papelarda1500
gnathonical1540
clawing1574
pickthank1575
slavering1575
claw-back1577
courting1580
fawning1585
adulatory1587
insinuating1592
insinuative1592
scraping1599
adulatorious1612
men-pleasing1615
pickthanking1621
sycophantical1632
gnathonic1637
insinuanta1639
sycophantizing1640
ingratiating1642
led1672
sycophanting1674
sycophantly1680
sycophanta1684
sycophantica1698
pickthankly1702
assiduous1725
foot-licking1786
tuft-hunting1789
sycophantish1821
favour-currying1831
bootlicking1849
toadying1863
creepy-crawly1890
slauming1904
toadyish1909
ass-licking1940
ass-kissing1942
brown-nosing1946
arse-licking1950
sucky1991
1789 Loiterer No. 11. 6 The diversion of tuft-hunting..has been so long..practised in this place [Oxford].
1829 H. D. Best Personal & Lit. Mem. 101 He made no disgraceful tuft-hunting distinctions in favour of noblemen or gentlemen commoners.
1848 W. M. Thackeray Bk. Snobs xix. 71 Tuft-hunting is snobbish.
1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) II. 208 A tuft-hunting sort of Quietism.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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n.1755