Today's Word "Claptrap"
A remote, wild, unexplored region
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Published in Vocabulary
claptrap \KLAEP-traep\ (noun) - Pretentious, insincere speech designed to gain applause; a trick or phrase designed to capture praise.
"Janice tried to extenuate her embezzlement with claptrap about motherhood and devotion to the family."
Originally, today's word had two references in British theater. First, it was a device that made the sound of clapping before canned applause was invented. (This is not to be confused with the slapstick, a device for making the sound of a slap for 'slapstick' farce.) It later came to refer to a line guaranteed to garner applause, such as "Britannia rule the waves." Hence today's meaning of cheap, showy sentiment expressed solely for effect.
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