CURRY

O “curry” de hoje não é aquela delícia indiana que é o prato típico da gastronomia inglesa. Aqui, é um verbo: "curry", que significa bajular, lisonjear, persuadir/dissuadir: to curry somebody out of some thing: persuadir/dissuadir alguém de fazer alguma coisa. (to coax and cajole personal benefit with flattery)

We can curry acquaintance with people in high places or curry forgiveness for forgetting to bring home the curry. We can curry friends, goodwill, jobs, so long as we do it with the sycophancy (adulação) of a good toady (bajulador, puxa-saco).

The delicious Indian curry dishes? Unrelated. That "curry" comes from Tamil kari, a relish for rice. And this "curry" is unrelated to the noun "curry" of English hunting lore, referring to the leftovers from dressing the kill awarded the hounds for their restive (obstinado) duty. This word comes from French "curée", itself from cuir "hide, skin." Today's word not only has a colorful history; it has multiple personalities and other meanings too.

Suggested Usage: "Today's word has so many flavors it is difficult to avoid using two in the same sentence: "Nothing curries the affection of Madhu better than a bowl of good Indian curry." There is, in fact, much to be curried with curry, "Saroya took her husband to a fine Indian restaurant to curry (obter, conseguir com adulação) his approval of a new car for her."
Source: Your Dictionary