取り巻き
解説 Definition
権力者や有力者の周りにいる親しい仲間のこと。個人的な利益のためにつながっている人々を指します。
A crony is a close friend or supporter, especially one who receives unfair advantages because of that relationship. The word is usually negative and is often used in politics, business, or other situations involving power. It suggests loyalty based on personal connection rather than fairness or ability.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
friend や ally よりずっと嫌な含みがある語。単なる「友人」ではなく、権力者のそばで便宜や利益を分け合う身内を指すと覚えると定着しやすい。news では cronyism（縁故主義・お友達人事）で頻出なので、crony = 「実力よりコネで近くにいる人」と結びつける。political crony, business cronies などの形でまとめて覚え、colony と見間違えないよう注意。
Remember `crony` through `cronyism`, a word often seen in politics or business news. A `crony` is not just a friend or colleague; the word suggests favoritism, insider ties, and unfair advantage. Think of phrases like `political crony` or `business crony` to keep that negative tone clear.
例文
The politician surrounded himself with a group of cronies.
その政治家は取り巻きで周囲を固めていました。
His cronies always supported his decisions without question.
彼の取り巻きはいつも彼の決定を疑いなく支持しました。
He gave lucrative government contracts to his cronies.
彼は利益の大きい政府の仕事を自分の取り巻きに回しました。
crony の類義語・関連語
crony の語源・成り立ち Etymology
crony は「昔なじみの友」を表した語で、ケンブリッジ大学の俗語から広まり、ギリシャ語 khronios「長く続く」が有力な語源説とされる。khronos「時間」と同系の chronology を思えば、「長い時間を共有した仲」から取り巻き・側近の語感へ寄った流れが見える。
Crony first meant an old or long-standing friend and became popular in Cambridge University slang. It is often linked to Greek khronios, meaning "long-lasting," from the same family as khronos, "time." The idea was a companion known over a long time, which later shifted in tone toward a close supporter or favored associate. A related English word is chronology.
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