A crony is not simply a friend. It is one of a small group who spend a lot of time with each other — and the word is there to show you do not like it. Cronies are the people who always sit with someone, especially someone with power, and often get looked after in return.

A cronycrony is not simply a friend不只是普通朋友；it是 one of a small group who spend a lot of time with each other一小群常常膩在一起的人裡的一個——and而且 the word is there to show you do not like it這個字就是要表達你不喜歡這種情況；croniescronies are the people who always sit with someone就是那些老是黏著某人的人，especially尤其是 someone with power黏著有權力的人，and而且 often get looked after in return常常會因此得到照顧。

News writers use it about a politician’s old school friends or business pals. It feels informal and sharp. You would not call your own best friend a crony unless you were joking in a dark way.

News writers新聞寫作者 use it about用這個字來說 a politician's old school friends or business pals政治人物的老同學或生意夥伴；it feels informal and sharp這個字給人非正式又帶刺的感覺；you would not call你不會把 your own best friend a crony你自己最好的朋友叫做crony，unless除非 you were joking in a dark way你是在講黑色幽默。

A long time ago, at Cambridge University, it only meant a chum you had known for years, with no bad taste. The bad taste came later, when people saw that “friends of long standing” were also the ones who got the quiet favours.

A long time ago很久以前，at Cambridge University在劍橋大學，it只 only meant a chum you had known for years是指認識很久的老朋友，with no bad taste沒有貶意；the bad taste這種貶意 came later是後來才出現的，when當 people saw that "friends of long standing" were also the ones who got the quiet favours人們發現「認識很久的朋友」也是那些暗中得到好處的人。