gnathon-
(Latin: deceitfully flattering, praising or complimenting insincerely or excessively)
Someone who is insincere or hypocritical and makes complimentary statements in order to achieve a special purpose or desire: Some salespeople are gnathons who are deceitfully friendly and praise customers so they will buy more products.
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The following cartoon presents an example of someone who is a gnathon.
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gnathon (nah THAN) (verb), gnathons; gnathoned; gnathoning
To induce, to influence, or to persuade someone to do something by using praise that is not sincere: Erla gnathoned her employer to increase her wages as his secretary.
To gnathon someone is the equivalent of cajoling as shown in the following illustration.
To gnathon someone is the equivalent of cajoling as shown in the following illustration.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
gnathonic (nah THAN ik) (adjective), more gnathonic, most gnathonic
1. A reference to something intended to be flattering or falsely praised by someone: The saleswoman gave the lady customer some gnathonic compliments about how wonderful she looked in the dress that she was trying on.
2. Etymology: from 1630-40; Latin gnathonicus, derivative of Gnatho- (stem of Gnatho) name of a sycophantic character in the Roman comedy "Eunuchus" who had an excessive willingness to serve or to please others.
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© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Etymology: from 1630-40; Latin gnathonicus, derivative of Gnatho- (stem of Gnatho) name of a sycophantic character in the Roman comedy "Eunuchus" who had an excessive willingness to serve or to please others.
"Eunuchus" or "The Eunuch" is a comedy written by the Roman playwright Publius Terentius Afer, or Terence, who presented a complex plot of family related misunderstandings.
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gnathonical (nah THAN ikuhl) (adjective), more gnathonical, most gnathonical
Descriptive of insincere praising of someone in order to get him or her to do something: Mark made some gnathonical comments to Lydia, his secretary, in order to get her to work overtime so she could complete the results of the project.
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The cartoon presents another sample of a gnathonical person being excessive with praise for his supervisor.
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gnathonically (nah THAN i kuh" lee) (adverb), more gnathonically, most gnathonically
Conveying dishonest praise and insincere adulation in order to get a person to do something that is not true: David gnathonically expressed admiration for the efforts that his daughter, Patricia, was doing to prepare herself for the final exams at school the next day, even though he knew that she was watching TV in her bedroom until very late that evening.
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The following cartoon illustrates another instance of someone who is striving to gnathonically praise his boss probably in order to gain some financial advantages.
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