A long-handled tool (sometimes with multiple prongs or fingers at the end) used to scratch and relieve itches on your back that you cannot reach yourself.
Compound of 'back' and 'scratcher' (Old English 'cræccan', to scrape). Common in Japanese and Chinese cultures for centuries before becoming widespread in the West.
The backscratcher reveals something weird about human biology: we're one of the few animals that cannot reach significant portions of our own body, which is why ticklish spots on your back feel so much more intense—your brain doesn't expect to be touched there.
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