Sycophancy

For fawning in the sense of a musical term, see Accarezzévole.

Sycophancy means:^[1]

1. Obsequious flattery; servility.
2. The character or characteristic of a sycophant.

Alternative phrases are often used such as:

• apple-polishing
• ass kissing
• ass licking
• bootlicker
• brown nosing
• crawler
• fawning
• flunky
• grovelling
• hanger-on
• kowtowing
• lackey
• lickspittle
• sucking up
• toady
• yes man

Etymology

The Greek for sycophant is συκοφάντης (sykophántēs). It suggests someone who brings all kinds of charges and proves none, according to a client of Demosthenes.^[2] A client of Lysias adds the perspective of blackmail: "It is their practice to bring charges even against those who have done no wrong. For from these they would gain most profit." ^[3] In this context, the word entails false accusation, malicious prosecution, and abuse of legal process for mischievous or fraudulent purposes.

The Greek root 'sukophantēs' literally translates as 'a person showing a fig' ('Sukon' / sykos / συκος fig, and phainein / fanēs / φανης to show). The fig having been a symbol used in making an accusation, itself probably a development from accuser to informer/flatterer.^[4]

In Ancient Greece, the word was the Athenian counterpart of the Roman delator, a public informer. In modern Greek the term has retained its ancient classical meaning, and is still used to describe a slanderer or a calumniator.

See also

• Codependency
• Narcissistic supply
• Obedience
• Submissiveness

References

1. ^ http://thinkexist.com/dictionary/meaning/sycophancy
2. ^ Demos. Ivii.34
3. ^ Lysias, xxv.3
4. ^ Online Dictionary - Sycophancy

Further reading

• Clark LP A Psychological Study of Sycophancy. Psychoanalytic Review 21:15-39 (1934)
• Lofberg, John Oscar, Sycophancy in Athens (2008)