side deal
Unofficial parallel arrangement
A side deal is an agreement made separately from a main negotiation or contract, often privately and sometimes without the knowledge of all parties involved.
Side deals may be legitimate—addressing concerns a main agreement doesn't cover—or shady, circumventing the spirit of the primary arrangement: He cut a side deal with the supplier behind his partners' backs.
- backroomPrivate space for dealings
- smoke-filled roomSecret political negotiation venue
- closed doorRestricted access meeting
- back channelUnofficial communication route
- handshakeMutual palm-gripping gesture
under the table · cash in hand · kickback · quid pro quo · sweetheart · hush · under wraps · secret · bribe · favor · arrangement · negotiation · shady · wink · wink wink · nod · cutback · commission
- negotiationbargaining, bargain, negotiate, mediation, compromise
- informal agreementsverbal agreement, oral agreement, gentleman's agreement, verbal contract, oral contract
- ethics violationsbribery, bribes, kickbacks, kickback, nepotism
- informal dealsbarter, swap, trade-in, under the table, quid pro quo
- corruptioncorruption, graft, kickbacks, bribery, bribes
- workaroundsworkaround, workarounds, fixes, hacks, quick fix