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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2019-10-23 12:18:58

David Bird
Eggcornista
From: The Hammer, Ontario
Registered: 2009-07-28
Posts: 1690

"Synchophant" for sycophant

Perhaps one day the author and company will have to answer for their actions but they can rest assured they were doing their best for our nation as the saw fit. I take a crew of them over a bunch of syncophants and yes men.
NYT news comment

He is a total synchofant of Fox news.
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The online etymological dictionary provides the piquant origins to the word sycophant:

sycophant (n.)
1530s (in Latin form sycophanta), “informer, talebearer, slanderer,” from Middle French sycophante and directly from Latin sycophanta, from Greek sykophantes “false accuser, slanderer,” literally “one who shows the fig,” from sykon “fig” (see fig) + phainein “to show” (from PIE root *bha- (1) “to shine”).
“Showing the fig” was a vulgar gesture made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, itself symbolic of a vagina (sykon also meant “vulva”). The modern accepted explanation is that prominent politicians in ancient Greece held aloof from such inflammatory gestures, but privately urged their followers to taunt their opponents. The sense of “mean, servile flatterer” is first recorded in English 1570s.

Ha. A word for our times. The tables were turned on the servile followers of a political figure, who were urged to insult the masculinity of his rivals, but were labelled thus in return. Syncophants and synchophants (and -fants) are called out abundantly on the web in these political climes, usually with some connection to the White House. The spelling makes it appear that they make a connection to syncing with the present occupant.

Simblings noted here previously: psychophant 1, psychophant 2, sickophant, and suckophant.

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#2 2019-10-23 23:36:54

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2851

Re: "Synchophant" for sycophant

How have we missed this one?


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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