Forms: 3 (?) courey, 4–7 cory, corry, 5–6 cury, 5 corroye, coraye, corey, (core), curray, (pa. t. pl. curreiden), couray, 6 courye, -ie, currey, 6–7 courrie, -y, currie, 4– curry. [a. OF. correie-r, coree-r, orig. conreder, conreer, cunreer, conraer, conraier to put in order, prepare, arrange, dispose, equip, apparel, curry a horse; in Palsgr. and Cotgr. courroyer, mod.F. corroyer to curry leather, = Pr. conrear to arrange, to entertain, It. corredare to equip, furnish, deck out, fit out (a bride or a ship):—early Rom. *conrēdāre to prepare, make ready, etc.: see CONREY.
In OF. the diphthong ei, oi, in the second syllable, belongs originally only to the stressed forms, whence it has been extended to all. The 16th-c. form courroyer seems to have been assimilated to courroye, courroie:—L. corrigia thong, leather strap.]
1. trans. To rub down or dress (a horse, ass, etc.) with a comb.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 61/251. And selde heo [an ass] is i-coureyd [? i-conreyd] wel.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xli. (1495), 802. The colte is not … coryed wyth an horse combe.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (1840), 53 (Mätzner). Lik as he wold coraye his maystres hors.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 19. A short horse is soone corryd.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, 31. It may suffize to rubbe and courrie the hounde three times in a weeke.
1589. Pappe w. Hatchet, 3. Who would currie an Asse with an Iuorie combe?
1617. Markham, Caval., III. 21. First let your groom vncloath him, then currie, rubbe, picke, and dresse him.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Travelling Horse, Ever where the Horse’s hair is thinnest there curry the gentlest.
1839–40. W. Irving, Wolfert’s R. (1855), 175. Her hide is daily curried and brushed.
b. Applied to persons.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xxiii. (Arb.), 273. Thou art that fine, foolish … Alexander that tendest to nothing but to combe and cury thy haire.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, 107. Currying and smudging and pranking himselfe.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, II. xii. § 3 (1734), 243. The Parts affected … being first well curried with a Flesh-Brush.
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, XX. (1826), 251. She curries with towels The Chamber-maid’s bowels.
c. fig.: To tickle, scrape, scratch, claw, etc.
1598. E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 59. We shall be curried with the brislie phrases And prick-song termes he hath premeditate.
1607. Dekker, Westw. Hoe, V. Wks. 1873, II. 352. You shall go on fidling … curry your instruments: play and away.
1655. Fuller, Hist. Camb. (1840), 151. Indeed, with his learned lectures, he … curried the lazy hides, of many an idle and ignorant friar.
2. To dress (tanned leather) by soaking, scraping, paring, beating, coloring, etc.
14[?]. Chalmerlan Air, c. 22 (Jam.). Item, thai wirk it [lethir] or it be courait.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 110. Currayyn ledyr … corradio.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, vii. 30. The hide of an oxe whiche [she] dyd doo corroye well.
1503–4. Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 19. Preamb., Upon peyne of forfeitur of every hyde by hym so corryed.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 171. Those skins which are to be courried and dressed.
1639. Sc. Acts, Chas. I. (1870), V. App. 610/1. Edward Spencer Corier, craving libertie to buy hydis … and vent the same being Coried.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 142. All Leather, tanned or curried, coming from Foreign Parts.
1826. Scott, Woodst., xxxi. I made the deer’s hide be curried and dressed by a tanner.
b. To work iron in the forge. Obs. [F. corroyer du fer.]
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 58. Spanish-steel … sometimes proves very unsound, as not being well curried, that is well wrought.
3. transf. To beat or thrash one’s hide for him, give a drubbing to. Also fig.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 1641. For myrth I have hym coryed, beten and blyst.
1530. Palsgr., 504/2. She hath curryed hym with a good staffe.
1580. Baret, Alv., C 1799. He hath well curried thy cote.
1621. Fletcher, Isl. Princess, IV. ii. I have seen him Curry a fellow’s carcass handsomely.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, V. 227. This is the great Sir Francis Vere, That so the Spaniards curry’d.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb. (1861), 220. He swore … that … he would curry his hide till he made him run out of it.
† 4. fig. To ‘stroke down’ (a person) with flattery or blandishment. Obs.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 365. Whou þey curry kinges & her back claweþ.
† b. intr. or absol. To employ flattery or blandishment, so as to cajole or win favor: cf. next.
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. (1560), 280 b/1. Tho curreiden glosours, tho welcomeden flatterers.
1575. Brieff Disc. Troubl. Franckford (1642), 167. Such as … can cap it, can cope it, and curry for advantage.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. i. 81. I would currie with Maister Shallow.
1830. A. W. Fonblanque, Eng. under 7 Administr. (1837), II. 51. His Grace meant he was currying to the Duke of Newcastle.
5. † a. To curry favel: to use insincere flattery, or unworthy compliance with the humor of another, in order to gain personal advantage. (Cf. CURRY-FAVEL below.)
[OF. estriller fauvel (fauveau, fauvain, also torcher fauvel) to curry the chestnut horse, hence, to employ deceit or hypocrisy, to gloze; cf. FAVEL.]
c. 1400. Beryn, 362. She toke hym by the swere, As þouȝe she had lernyd cury fauel of som olde ffrere.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 189. The knyght or squier … but he hide The trouthe and cory favelle, he not the ner is His lordes grace.
1426. Audelay, Poems (Percy Soc.), 26. Loke thou core not favel ne be no flaterer.
1561. E. Underhill, in Narr. Reform. (Camden Soc.), 159. Accordynge to the olde provearbe … He thatt wylle in courte abyde Must cory favelle bake and syde, for souche gett moste gayne.
1570. T. Wilson, Demosthenes, 77. While they tell you a faire tale, and curry fauell with you.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1610), 108. Her pickthanke favourits, who to curry Favell, spared not [etc.].
b. Later, this phrase was transformed into
To curry favor: to seek to win favor, or ingratiate oneself with another, by officious courtesy or unworthy complaisance.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), F vj. Flatter not as do some, With none curry fauour.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Matt. viii. 20, note. He thoght by this meanes to courry fauour with the worlde.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 470. [It] was then by him published to curry favour with the Royalists.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 250. A set of bravos who … attempted to curry favour with the government by affronting members of the opposition.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, xxiii. 472. Gossiping traders who seek to curry their favour.
† c. Hence occas. in other phrases of kindred meaning, as to curry acquaintance, good will, applause, friends, pardon.
1571. Campion, Hist. Ireland (1809), 162. He curryed acquaintance and friendship with meere Irish enemyes.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1303/2. He … seeketh all waies he could to currie the bishops good will.
1630. Symmer, Rest Weary, i. A. iv. b. The proud and ambitious man … curryes the applause of the world with all his might.
a. 1745. Swift, Poems, Dan Jackson’s Reply. ’Tis true indeed, to curry friends, You seem to praise to make amends.
18[?]. Coleridge, Lit. Rem. (1838), III. 250. Currying pardon for his past liberalism by charging … himself with the guilt of falsehood.
