Kentish fire

American  

noun

British.

1. prolonged clapping by an audience, especially in unison, indicating impatience or disapproval.

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Etymology

Origin of Kentish fire

Said to have originated in Kent, England, in 1828–29, as an expression of opposition to speakers favoring the Catholic Relief Bill

Example Sentences

The people listened to the band, or amused themselves with patriotic songs and Kentish fire, till Mr. Balfour arrived, when their cheering, loud and long, was taken up outside, and reverberated through the city.

From Ireland as It Is And as It Would be Under Home Rule by Buckley, Robert John

Shortly after the doors were opened it appeared evident that a considerable body of Orangemen were dispersed in different parts, from partial sounds of the "Kentish fire," and other circumstances.

From The Economist Volume 1, No. 3 by Wilson, James