You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

Posted by ESC on October 13, 2000

In Reply to: You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours posted by Daniel Dainty on October 12, 2000

: I am 9 years old and for my homework I need to find the meaning and origin of You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Please help. Thank you.

: Daniel D.

It's a political thing - politicians match each other "favor for favor." I do you a favor, and you owe me a favor.

YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, I'LL SCRATCH YOURS - "A favor should be reciprocated: you do a favor for me, and I'll do one for you. The proverb has been traced back to Montaigne , and is first attested in the United States in 'Artemus Ward, His Book' by Artemus Ward, the pen name of Charles Farrar Browne (1834-76)." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).