to make a pass at

to flirt with someone

TRANSLATION

to make a pass at someone = Annäherungsversuche machen; jmd. anmachen Google Hits: 1,192,000

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

Sample text:
Sir Mick Jagger has issued a statement denying Katy Perry's claims that he made a pass at her when she was 18.

BBC News

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His eyes would plead with her and she knew it was only a matter of time before he made a pass at her.

Jenny Tomlin novel

Did you
know?

to make a pass at
phrasal verb

to flirt or make advances to someone, especially of an amorous nature.

Dictionary.com

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Word Origin

The catchy saying 'men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses' is from Dorothy Parker's 1937 novel 'Not So Deep as a Well'.

Although this is the first recorded example of "to make a pass at" the phrase probably goes back much further and may have a sporting origin.

Stanley Bing's amusing novel "You look Nice Today" explores the legal consequences of making a pass in corporate America today.

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Synonyms

chat up, eyeball, flirt, hit on, ogle, philander, pick up, make a play for, proposition, wink at, wolf-whistle

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Smuggle OWAD into today's conversation

"Making a pass at a member of staff can lose you your job."

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