play up to (?)

[GeneD]

When one of the people involved in a conversation makes a joke and expects the interlocutor to laugh and the latter seeing the expectation politely laughs, we in Russian would say that he who laughed "подыграл" the other person. I looked "подыграть" up in a dictionary and it suggested "play up to". Does it fit the context?

He played up to him and politely laughed at the joke.

Or when a person tries to impress another with something and clearly expects the interlocutor to be impressed, and the latter acts as if he were impressed even not being impressed at all in reality... Would "play up to" convey the idea? Or are there any other expressions that would do the job?

In fact, "play up to" looks suitable to me because there is some reminiscence of a theatre play or something like that, but I'm not sure. What do you say?

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, play up to might work. Especially if you can't think of anything better.

 

[probus]

"Play up to" is not very appropriate when describing a single incident like this joke. Playing up to someone involves a whole pattern of behaviour over time. Piscean's version is much better.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes. He humored him works.

 

[GeneD]

Or when a person tries to impress another with something and clearly expects the interlocutor to be impressed, and the latter acts as if he were impressed even not being impressed at all in reality

I looked "humour" up, and it seems that "He humoured him" should work in this situation as well. Is it so?

 

[emsr2d2]

I looked "humour" up, and it seems that "He humoured him" should work in this situation as well. Is it so?

That was suggested in both posts #3 and #5.