View synonyms for backseat driver

backseat driver

noun

an automobile passenger who offers the driver unsolicited advice, warnings, criticism, etc., especially from the backseat.
any person who, by means of criticism, unsolicited advice, or the like, interferes in affairs that are not their own concern or responsibility.

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Other Words From

backseat driving noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of backseat driver¹

First recorded in 1925–30

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Idioms and Phrases

A passenger who gives unwanted and/or unneeded directions to the driver; also, a person who interferes in affairs without having knowledge, responsibility, or authority for doing so. For example, Aunt Mary drives us all crazy with her instructions; she's an incurable backseat driver . This term originated in the United States in the 1920s, when it was first used for a passenger legitimately directing a chauffeur, and it was quickly transferred to figurative use. Also see the synonym Monday-morning quarterback and the antonym take a back seat .

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

backseat backset

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