A lot of people think that the clap might indicate chlamydia as they start with the same letters. But clap is a euphemism for Gonorrhoea. There are tons of speculations about why the sexually-transmitted disease, Gonorrhoea, is often described as the clap. The name is presumed to have been obtained from French or English language terms. 

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This infection can affect both men and women, but men are likely to exhibit symptoms associated with the disease. 

One possible philosophy to the word’s origin is from an old French word for brothel “clapier†in the 1500 1500’s. The use of the clap then would have indicated the location where the disease usually spread the most: the houses of prostitution. When an individual had Gonorrhoea, people called him as “clapier buboâ€. The term means inflamed lymph nodes in the groin area caused by an infection in French. 

There is another theory that the word could come from an old English word “clappan†meaning to throb or beat. An infected person gets a burning sensation while urinating and a throbbing painful condition in the genitals caused by inflammation from the infection.

When Gonorrhoea was first introduced as a disease, medical knowledge was limited during medieval times. A few people believe that the name came from the painful treatment option “clappingâ€. This treatment involved an attempt to push the pus and discharge from the urethra. This form of therapy was used to cause significant damage and did little to evacuate the infection. 

Back in the 18 century, most people believed that hitting the cyst hard with a bible could cure the worsening condition. They are called “bible cysts”; however, clapping, smacking or hitting a body part with an object can never heal you.