Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.

What does back-slap mean in this sentence?

Back-slap someone in Korea and they will be offended.

share|improve this question
This question can be improved by citing sources you consulted before asking the question. Checking sources before posting and reporting what you found as part of your question is basic site etiquette. – MετάEd Sep 26 '12 at 3:57

closed as general reference by tchrist, MετάEd, coleopterist, StoneyB, Mahnax Oct 9 '12 at 1:54

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

Literally, to slap someone on the back. In the US, it's a gesture of conviviality or congratulations.

However, to call someone a "back-slapper" is something of an insult. There's a strong connotation that the conviviality or congratulations is insincere. Politicians are often called "back-slappers" (or "glad-handers", meaning a person prone to shaking a strangers' hands and grinning inanely, a similar dig).

share|improve this answer
+1 but a cite would be nice – bib Sep 26 '12 at 1:05

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.