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BMO Posted 22 years ago
Vocabulary

Back talk

is this just some children talking back to you or does it also mean something else, like people talking behind your back?
  

Top answer

It doesn't have to be children, but 'back talk' is just argumentative response. Are you thinking of 'back-biting'?

— Mister Micawber

  • It doesn't have to be children, but 'back talk' is just argumentative response.
  • Are you thinking of 'back-biting'?
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12 Answers
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It doesn't have to be children, but 'back talk' is just argumentative response.
Are you thinking of 'back-biting'?
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Yes. Apparently back talking and backbiting are different. thanks, learn a new word backbiting today.
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Hi, BMO,Emotion: smile

If a child mouths off, he will be grounded for a couple of days.



blacknomi from UE. Nic
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Are you thinking of 'back-biting'?



Hi MM,

Your words remind me of one saying in Chinese. Visualize two dogs are biting each other, after fighting for a moment, they don't really hurt each other but they've got a mouth of hair. Do you know what I mean?
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Who knows, Pastel?-- 'back-biting' may have derived from just such a dogfight!

This is not to the same point, but sometimes we say of a dog-- or a person-- who makes a lot of noise but is not very effective, that he is 'all bark and no bite'.
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In England we tell children not to talk back or answer back, rather than using 'back-talk'.
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There is also 'backchat', which means mock-abuse or friendly repartee.

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In US english "back talk" usually means to provide an unwanted comment
In America we tell children not to talk back not back talk
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i was thinking about badmouthing, that is it. back talking and badmouthing are diffrent.
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Aha! 'Bad-mouthing'-- it means 'criticizing' or 'denigrating'; it is often done behind an antagonist's back, but not necessarily so.
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