plays favorites
Treats people unequally
Plays favorites means showing preferential treatment to certain people over others, especially when fairness is expected.
A boss who plays favorites promotes friends over more qualified candidates.
A parent who plays favorites gives one child better treatment than siblings.
The phrase implies unfairness or bias: The teacher clearly plays favorites—she never calls on anyone but her pet students.
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
- partialityUnfair favor toward some
- favoritismPreferential treatment of some
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
- good old boyInformal male insider
clique · teacher's pet · prejudice · fairness · bias · privilege · inner circle · in crowd · golden child · brown noser · yes man · exclusion · loyalty · fair weather friend · subjectivity · equity · preference · self-interest