pat on the back

pat on the back idiom
A word or gesture of support, approval, or praise, as in The bonus she gave her assistant was a pat on the back for doing a good job. [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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