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A word or expression to describe a person who tells someone else how to do their work

English Language & Usage Asked by cinico on April 27, 2021

In Portugal, we have an expression to designate this, which literally translates to something like "coach from the audience". This is a figurative expression related with those people on the audience of a sports event, screaming at the coach of the team (or the team itself), schooling them how they should play, typically in a condescending way, despite the lack of expertise of this outsider.

This expression is also sometimes used when someone is providing unsolicited advice, but it’s different. Because unsolicited advice is many times regarded as coming from a good intention to help, and because an unsolicited advice is an attempt to solve a problem. The concept I was searching for captures the cases where there might not be any problem at all, but still there is this person who has to voice their opinion on a condescending way about something that is not his responsibility.

I know about the word ‘patronizing’, but I feel that this doesn’t capture exactly what I want to express.

Is there any word or expression in English that is tangible to this?

2 Answers

Farlex has backseat driver.

  1. A passenger in a vehicle (not necessarily in the backseat) who attempts to instruct the driver or criticize their driving skills.
  2. By extension, it also means someone who tries to establish and maintain control over every situation.

Lexico supports this with

back-seat driver
NOUN

1.1 A person who is eager to give advice about something for which they are not responsible.

She failed to appreciate that the term ‘back-seat driver’, in most people's eyes, was pejorative: she thought it merely indicated helpfulness, whereas others saw it as meddling and controlling.

Correct answer by Weather Vane on April 27, 2021

Perhaps dictatorial works here.

"If you describe someone's behaviour as dictatorial, you do not like the fact that they tell people what to do in a forceful and unfair way."

Reference: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/dictatorial

Answered by piccolo on April 27, 2021

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