offensive language - Less vulgar synonyms for "circlejerk"


Someone asked in the Math.StackExchange chatroom what a "more refined word for circlejerk" might be. UrbanDictionary defines this (in our desired usage) as:





  • [...] pompous, self-congratulatory discussion where little to no progress is made.




  • A group discussion or activity between like-minded individuals that validates mutual biases or goals in a non-confrontational environment.




  • Sometimes used to describe an internet forum thread where forum members all give each other kudos (Or rep where a rep system is present) for some non-event that has occurred.





I guess it's related to "intellectual masturbation" or "echo chamber" but these don't quite fit the bill.



Answer



Perhaps they are members of a mutual admiration society. As ODO puts it:



A coterie of people who flatter one another and promote each other's reputations.



The earliest OED entry is from the December 1845 issue of The Knickerbocker, a monthly New York magazine.


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