the.com/crony
A friend you promote when you should be hiring a stranger.
means A longtime pal, especially one you favor with jobs, deals, or favors regardless of merit.
from Thought to come from Greek 'khronios,' meaning long-lasting or of long time — fitting, since a crony is above all an old, long-standing companion. The word surfaces in 17th-century Cambridge student slang, originally just meaning a close friend with no shady undertones at all. It picked up its corrupt, back-scratching connotation later, as 'cronyism' became shorthand for stacking favors on old buddies rather than on merit.
- origin
- From Greek chronios, meaning long-term, as in old friend
- coined by
- 17th-century Cambridge students slang, not politicians
- modern use
- Always paired with capitalism, never with kindness
- tell
- The job posting appears after the hire