give (oneself or someone) a pat on the back
(redirected from give me a pat on the back)give (oneself or someone) a pat on the back
To give oneself or someone else praise for an achievement or a job well done. Treating his daughter to ice cream was Joe's way of giving her a pat on the back after she won first place in the science fair. The only reason she stays late at work is to give herself a pat on the back in front of her co-workers.