the.com/homage
Flattery with footnotes — you steal it but admit whose idea it was.
means A show of honor or respectful tribute paid to someone, often by openly echoing or crediting their work.
from From French 'homage,' rooted in 'homme' (man) — originally the formal acknowledgment a vassal made to his feudal lord, literally declaring himself the lord's 'man.' It drifted from political submission to general respect, and eventually to art's favorite polite form of theft: borrowing someone's style while bowing in their direction.
- vs plagiarism
- same theft, better manners
- pronunciation flex
- silent h optional, snobbery not
- french origin
- literally meant pledging loyalty to a lord
- film critics love
- word used to excuse every rip-off