subs. phr.—1. A wooden toy on the principle of a watchman’s rattle, which, drawn down the back, sounds like the ripping up of cloth: much in favour at fairs and in crowds; its use (in London) is now (1903) prohibited by police order.
2. (colloquial).—A flatterer: hence BACK-SCRATCHING = flattery: cf. KA ME, KA THEE.
