bow and scrape Definition

bow¹
verb bowed, bowing

1. To bend (the head or the upper part of the body) forwards and downwards.

Example: bow one's head
Form: bow down (also)
intr
2. To bend the head or the upper part of the body forwards and downwards, usually as a sign of greeting, respect, shame, etc or to acknowledge applause.

Thesaurus: bend, stoop, dip, drop, incline, bob, duck, kowtow, salaam.
Form: bow down before someone (also sometimes)
Form: bow down before something
3. To express (eg thanks or acceptance) with a bow.
4. To accept or submit to it, especially unwillingly.

Thesaurus: surrender, submit, capitulate, concede, acquiesce, yield; Antonym: resist.
Form: bow to something (usually)

noun

1. An act of bowing.

Thesaurus: nod, bend, curtsy, genuflection, salutation, salaam.

Idiom: bow and scrape

derog
To behave with excessive politeness or deference.

Idiom: take a bow

To acknowledge applause or recognition.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon bugan to bend.

Phrasal Verb: bow something or someone down

To crush it or them down.

Phrasal Verb: bow down to someone

To agree to obey them, or to submit to them.

Phrasal Verb: bow someone in or out

To usher them in or out, etc with a formal or respectful bow.

Phrasal Verb: bow out

To stop taking part; to retire or withdraw.

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scrape
verb scraped, scraping

1. To push or drag (especially a sharp object) along or over (a hard or rough surface).

Thesaurus: abrade, scuff, rasp, rub, file, graze, grind.
Form: scrape something along, over etc something (also)
intr
2. To move along a surface with a grazing action.
3. To graze (the skin) by a scraping action.
4. To move along (a surface) with a grating sound.
intr
5. To make a grating sound.
6. To remove it from or smooth a surface with such an action.

Form: scrape something off (also)
7. To make savings through hardship.

Example: We managed to scrape enough for a holiday
intr
8. colloq
To play the fiddle.

noun

1. An instance, process or act of dragging or grazing.
2. A part damaged or cleaned by scraping.
3. A scraped area in the ground.
4. A graze (of the skin).

Thesaurus: abrasion, scratch, scuff, contusion, lesion.
5. A backward sliding movement of one foot accompanying a bow.
6. colloq
A difficult or embarrassing situation or predicament.
Thesaurus: difficulty, dilemma, distress, plight, mess, predicament, trouble, fix, pickle (slang), a pretty kettle of fish (slang).
7. colloq
A fight or quarrel.

Derivative: scraper

A person who scrapes.

A scraping tool, device or machine.

Idiom: bow and scrape

To be over-obsequious.

Idiom: scrape acquaintance with someone

To contrive to get to know them.

Idiom: scrape the bottom of the barrel

To utilize the very last and worst of one's resources, opinions, etc.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon scrapian.

Phrasal Verb: scrape through or by

To manage or succeed in doing something narrowly or with difficulty.
Example: He just scraped through the interview

Phrasal Verb: scrape something together or up

To collect it little by little, usually with difficulty.