Are they? They seem to always be attached to rising star or second in command and so on. Also you forgot brown-noser and the one I think most illustrative: teachers pet. The teachers’ or bosses esteem is exactly whose you should care about if you want to rise high, not jealous or anti-elite drones.
Eg “he only got the job by sucking up to the boss” is used pejoratively but guess who has the job? It’s not the complainer.
Are they? They seem to always be attached to rising star or second in command and so on. Also you forgot brown-noser and the one I think most illustrative: teachers pet. The teachers’ or bosses esteem is exactly whose you should care about if you want to rise high, not jealous or anti-elite drones.
Eg “he only got the job by sucking up to the boss” is used pejoratively but guess who has the job? It’s not the complainer.