slap on the back

slap on the back idiom
A gesture of congratulation, as in The coach gave him a slap on the back for coming in first. [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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