- Sycophant
A sycophant (from the Greek συκοφάντης "sykophántēs") is a
servile person who, acting in his or her own self interest, attempts to win favor byflatter ing one or more influential persons, with an undertone that these actions are executed at the cost of his or her own personalpride ,principle s, and peerrespect . Such a manner is called obsequiousness.In
ancient Greece the word was the Athenian counterpart of the Romandelator , a publicinformer . In modern Greek the term has retained its ancient classical meaning, and is still used to describe aslander er or a calumniator.Etymology
According to ancient authorities, the word (derived by them from συκος "sykos", "fig", and φανης "fanēs", "to show") meant one who informed against another for exporting figs (which was forbidden by law) or for stealing the fruit of the sacred fig-trees, whether in time of
famine or on any other occasion (Plutarch, "Life of Solon", 24, 2.). TheOxford English Dictionary , however, states that this explanation, though common, "cannot be substantiated", and suggests that it may refer instead to the insulting gesture of "making a fig" or to an obscene alternate meaning for "fig", namely "sykon", which meanscunt . [ [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sycophant The word 'sycophant' at reference.com] ]Another old explanation was that fines and taxes were at one time paid in apples, wine and oil, and those who collected such payments in kind were often called sycophants because they publicly handed them in. Fact|date=February 2007
Popular culture
*In Obert Skye's "
Leven Thumps " series of children's books, "sycophant" also refers to a race of small furry creatures whose job is to aid people who have entered Foo.References
External links
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/toady Toady (definition)]
* [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/parasite Toady (compared to a parasite)]
* [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/toady Toady (pronunciation)]
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