“Claque” (rhymes with “back”) originated in the 19th-century French theater scene. Theater owners would hire professional applauders (called “claquers”) to sit in the audience and drum up enthusiasm. “Claque” comes from the French “claque,” meaning “to clap,” which is an onomatopoeia. The noun can also refer to a group of sycophants — think of people who praise an authority figure in order to gain favor, whether the praise is earned or not.