On one level the sudden and unexpected friendship thrives on little more than mutual back-scratching.

Despite this unequivocal recommendation, however, many compensation committees have members who at least have the potential to engage in mutual back-scratching with the chief executive.

Most Venezuelans, however, do not see the elite's mutual back-scratching as a stage on the road to better government, but as democracy's final stop.

A bidding battle over a deal could further change its reputation for mutual back-scratching.

Traditionally, as we all know, Texas businessmen and politicians were models of probity; they never cooked their books or engaged in mutual back-scratching.

Perhaps this bodes well for the future of their mutual back-scratching.

Might there be some role for classical music in all of this mutual back-scratching?

These endless charity parties were, Clayton knew, a world of mutual back-scratching.

All this mutual back-scratching would be fine if patients' interests were indeed being served.

Through a system of mutual back-scratching, participants in that network made millions of dollars for themselves while disrupting some of the nation's largest companies.