a pat on the back

praise a slap on the back The White House gave her a pat on the back Thursday, when the president said she was a highly valued member of his staff.

Related vocabulary: a kick in the butt

a pat on the back

if you give someone a pat on the back, you praise them for something good that they have done (often + for ) She deserves a pat on the back for keeping things going while you were away.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Eric	['erik]
Azazias	-	Biblical Latin
Lavrentiy	-	Russian
Anah	-	Biblical
Barr	[ba:]
Liss	-	Norwegian