Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Date "LICKSPITTLE" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1869. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Satire | LICKSPITTLE, n. A useful functionary, not infrequently found editing a newspaper. In his character of editor he is closely allied to the blackmailer by the tie of occasional identity; for in truth the lickspittle is only the blackmailer under another aspect, although the latter is frequently found as an independent species. Lickspittling is more detestable than blackmailing, precisely as the business of a confidence man is more detestable than that of a highway robber; and the parallel maintains itself throughout, for whereas few robbers will cheat, every sneak will plunder if he dare. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Literature | Lickspittle (A). A servile toady. "His heart too great, though fortune little, To lick a rascal statesman's spittle." Swift. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Slang in 1811 | LICKSPITTLE. A parasite, or talebearer. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Servility | Sycophant, parasite; toad, toady, toad-eater; tufthunter; snob, flunky, flunkey, yes-man, lapdog, spaniel, lickspittle, smell-feast, Graeculus esuriens, hanger on, cavaliere servente, led captain, carpet knight; timeserver, fortune hunter, Vicar of Bray, Sir-Pertinax, Max Sycophant, pickthank; flatterer; doer of dirty work; ame damnee, tool; reptile; slave; (servant); courtier; beat, dead beat, doughface , heeler, homme de cour, sponger, sucker, tagtail, truckler. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: LICKSPITTLE |
| Specialty definitions using "LICKSPITTLE": Lick-spittle. (references) |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | LICKSPITTLE, n. A useful functionary, not infrequently found editing a newspaper. In his character of editor he is closely allied to the blackmailer by the tie of occasional identity; for in truth the lickspittle is only the blackmailer under another aspect, although the latter is frequently found as an independent species. Lickspittling is more detestable than blackmailing, precisely as the business of a confidence man is more detestable than that of a highway robber; and the parallel maintains itself throughout, for whereas few robbers will cheat, every sneak will plunder if he dare. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "LICKSPITTLE" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "LICKSPITTLE" is used about 3 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 3 | 202,518 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Language | Translations for "LICKSPITTLE"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | lajkatar (adulatory, bootlicker, earthworm, flatterer, flunkey, flunky, honey-mouthed, obsequious, smooth tongued, soother, sycophant, toad-eater, toad-eating, toady, wheedling), sahanlëpirës (buddy buddy, groveler, groveller). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | المتملق (flatterer, toady), المتزلف (lacker, toady). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | блюдолизец, подлизурко (bootlicker, groveller, spaniel, sycophant, toady, truckler). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | patolízal (bootlicker, creep, groveller, sycophant, toad-eater, toady). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | speichellecker (boot lick, bootlicker, toadies, toady). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | tányérnyaló (heel, minion, sucker). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | leccapiedi (bootlicker, flunkey, flunky, sycophant, toadies, toady), basso adulatore. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ickspittlelay parasita (bleeder, cadger, commensal, dead-beat, guest, hanger-on, leech, parasite, sponge, sponger), bajulador (adulator, courtier, flatterer, flunkey, fulsome, groveller, smarmy, smooth, toad-eater, toady, truckler). (various references) linguşitor ordinar (toady), lingãu (bootlicker, boot-licker, flunkey, glutton, minion, sponge, sycophant, toad, toad-eater, toady). (various references) льстец (adulator, bootlicker, courtier, flatterer, soother, sycophant, toad-eater). (various references) ulizica (bootlicker, groveller, sponger, sycophant, toad-eater, toady, truckler, yes man, yesman). (various references) lismare (apple polisher, groveller), smickrare (apple polisher, flatterer, sycophant, toady). (various references) ผู้ประจบประแจง. (various references) yaltakçı (adulatory, bootlicker, crawler, creep, creeper, cringing, greaser, groveler, groveller, obsequious, oily, servile, slime, slimy, smarmy, wheedling), yalaka (adulator, adulatory, arse licker, canine, cringing, lackey, smarmy), yağcı (apple polisher, buttery, crawler, deadhead, flatterer, greaser, greasy, gushing, gushy, loader, obsequious, oily, oleaginous, reptilian, silky, sleek, slime, soapy, suck, sucker, toady). (various references) яaranjaс (sycophant, toady). (various references) kẻ xu nịnh (apple-polisher), kẻ liếm gót (apple-polisher, bootlicker, groveller, reptile). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "LICKSPITTLE": lickspittles. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-e-i-i-k-l-l-p-s-t-t" | |
-3 letters: elliptic, lickspit, lipstick, pickiest, tillites. | |
-4 letters: cellist, ekistic, elicits, elitist, ickiest, illites, killies, kilties, kitties, kittles, liplike, littles, pelitic, pickets, pickles, pietist, pliskie, silicle, skelpit, skeptic, skillet, skittle, spittle, stickit, stickle, tickets, tickles, tillite. | |
-5 letters: cities, elicit, iciest, illest, illite, killie, kiltie, kittel, kittle, likest, lilies, listel, little, picket, pickle, pistil, pities, septic. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-e-i-i-k-l-l-p-s-t-t" | |
+1 letter: lickspittles. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Quotations: Non-fiction 4. Usage Frequency | 5. Translations: Modern 6. Derivations 7. Anagrams 8. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
