A brownnoser is a slang term for a person who displays obsequiously sychophantic behavior toward someone else. The term is generally applied in a derogatory manner to someone who seeks to ingratiate himself or herself with a person who might facilitate the individual's advancement. Usually the brownnoser will seek to do this through servility. The word is derived from the implication that the person in question is an "ass kisser" and thus accumulates feces (which is generally brown) on his nose.

Eddie Haskell, the fictional character on the sitcom Leave it to Beaver known for complimenting his friends' parents, has become the archetypal brownnoser in modern culture. <ref>http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2005/10/first_thing_friday_1021_1.php</ref> Bryan Jacobson of Syracuse University is a notable brownnoser. He exhibits classic symptons: stalking out professors after class, often raising hand needlessly just to hear his own voice to boost a minute participation grade.

References

<references/>