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Glite Dictionary
🪮 A back tool 🤝 A favor trader
backscratcher

backscratcher

1 8.0
A person who gives favors to get favors, often in a dishonest way
  • noun
  • /ˈbækˌskrætʃər/
  • Offensive
: clientelista
  • She realized that her colleague was a backscratcher, always seeking favors without offering anything in return.

Examples

  • The businessman was labeled a backscratcher for only helping those who could benefit him in return.

  • Region: Backscratcher (2)

    Blog text (16)

  • In politics, some people are known to be backscratchers, helping each other for their own gain.

Synonyms

swapper
vsbackscratcher
1 3.7

A person who trades items or services with other people

is similar but stresses mutual benefit and often improper conduct
clientelist
vsbackscratcher
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who gives goods or favors to get votes

is about mutual favors, often improper or unethical beyond politics

Antonyms

altruist
3 6.7

A person who cares about others and helps them without expecting anything back

How Ethical

honest
∞ 1.0
backscratcher
  • Offensive
1 8.0
corrupt
298 4.4
briber
1 7.3

Surface Forms

backscratcher singular
backscratchers plural

Morphology

backscratcher = backscratch (opaque) = back + scratch + er

If the learner knows the verb 'backscratch' in its figurative sense, adding '-er' clearly gives a person who does that action.

Etymology

Backscratcher also means a person who helps others so they will get help back; a helpful way to remember this is the phrase 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'. So a backscratcher in this sense is someone who expects a return favor, which is why the word can sound unfair or improper.