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lickspittle

/ˈlɪkˌspɪtl/
IPA guide

Other forms: lickspittles

In your class or workplace, is there someone who's a lickspittle — a fawning toady who always flatters the teacher or boss, saying "Yes, ma’am" and "No, sir," and laughing at all the teacher's or boss's dumb jokes?

A lickspittle is a derogatory term for someone who is obviously trying to get extra privileges by kissing up. English has several interesting names for such people, including bootlicker and apple polisher. Lickspittle is pretty old — from the 1600s — when it referred to someone who actually licked up the spit of their superior! Yuck! Calling someone a lickspittle is definitely not a compliment!

Definitions of lickspittle
  1. noun
    a person who flatters those in power to get something in return
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