cosy up to

cosy up to (third-person singular simple present cosies up to, present participle cosying up to, simple past and past participle cosied up to)

1. To come physically close to, using body language in an attempt to persuade another (often hesitant) party to snuggle or embrace.

   He forgot the whole argument when she cosied up to him on the couch.

   The kitten cosied up to the gruff old hound, and all resistance disappeared.

2. (by extension) To form a relationship with some one or some thing for the purpose of obtaining some benefit.

   It is often suggested that politicians are too inclined to cosy up to big business in order to receive funds for election expenses.

   The sales guys might be able to cosy up to the customers, but they are inexperienced in technical support.

   • 2005, Lynn Phillips, Watford Under Wood‎, page 123:

     Looks like I'd better cosy up to her and see if I can pump some facts out of her.

   • 2024 April 30, Chris Heath, quoting J. K. Rowling, “How Daniel Radcliffe Outran Harry Potter”, in The Atlantic‎, →ISSN:

     […] further suggesting that Radcliffe and Watson would be safe in the knowledge that Rowling would forgive them, she leaped in: “Not safe, I’m afraid,” she wrote, and characterized them as “celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights.”

• kiss up to
• toady up to

• octopusy