noun
sycophancy; flattery; brown-nosing
Refers to the act of excessive flattery or the person who does it; often used in the phrase ごますりをする. Colloquial and somewhat negative.
彼は上司にごますりばかりしている。
He's always brown-nosing his boss.
ごますりで出世する人もいる。
Some people get ahead by apple-polishing.
noun
sesame seed grinding
Literal meaning: the act of grinding sesame seeds. Rarely used in modern conversation; the figurative sense is dominant.
ごますりは、すり鉢でするのが一番だ。
Grinding sesame seeds is best done with a mortar and pestle.
お世辞 is a more general term for flattery or compliments, often less negative than ごますり, which implies insincere, self-serving flattery.
諂う is a formal verb meaning to flatter or fawn upon someone; ごますり is a colloquial noun/suru-verb with a similar meaning but more casual and often used for workplace or school situations.
From 胡麻 (sesame) + 擂り (grinding). The figurative sense comes from the image of grinding sesame seeds, which produces a sticky paste, likened to clinging flattery.