Toady
/ˈtoʊ.di/noun
A sycophantic flatterer or servile follower.
Did you know?The word grew out of 17th-century “toad-eater,” a term for a fake doctor’s assistant who supposedly ate a toad to prove a remedy could neutralize poison.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
tāde
“toad”
Middle English
ME
toode / tode
“toad”
17th Century
English
toad-eater
“a quack doctor’s assistant who performed humiliating tricks to impress customers”
18th Century
English
toady
“a servile flatterer; originally a term for a toad-eater”
Modern English
English
toady
“a sycophantic flatterer or obsequious follower”