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claque - n., a group hired to applaud at performances; a group of fawning admirers.
The latter sense being the modern political one. Dates from the 1660s, in the revival of London theaters during the Restoration, from French, from claquer, to clap, which is probably onomatopoetic. According to Wikipedia, the practice was systematized in the 1620s, though existed informally beforehand.
ETA: corrected dates, which were off by 2 centuries.
---L.
The latter sense being the modern political one. Dates from the 1660s, in the revival of London theaters during the Restoration, from French, from claquer, to clap, which is probably onomatopoetic. According to Wikipedia, the practice was systematized in the 1620s, though existed informally beforehand.
ETA: corrected dates, which were off by 2 centuries.
---L.
