clout: [OE] In Old English, a clout was a patch of cloth put over a hole to mend it. Hence in due course it came to be used simply for a ‘piece of cloth’, and by further extension for a ‘garment’ (as in ‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out’). However, the reason for its colloquial application to ‘hit, blow’, which dates from the 14th century, is not known, and indeed this may be an entirely different word. As for the word’s ultimate antecedents, it probably comes, along with cleat, clot, cluster, and clutter, from a prehistoric Germanic base *klut-, *kleut-, *klaut-. => cleat, clot, cluster, clutter
clout (n.)
Old English clut "lump of something," also "patch of cloth put over a hole to mend it," from Proto-Germanic *klutaz (cognates: Old Norse klute "kerchief," Danish klud "rag, tatter," Frisian klut "lump," Dutch kluit "clod, lump"); perhaps related to clot (v.).
In later use "a handkerchief," also "a woman's sanitary napkin." Sense of "a blow" is from c. 1400 early 14c., from the verb. Sense of "personal influence" is 1958, on the notion of "punch, force."
clout (v.)
"to beat, strike," early 14c., from clout (n.), perhaps on the notion of hitting someone with a lump of something, or from the "patch of cloth" sense of that word (compare clout (v.) "to patch, mend," mid-14c.). Related: Clouted; clouting.
例文
1. The two firms wield enormous clout in financial markets.
両社は金融市場で非常に大きな影響力を持っている。
2.I was half tempted to give one of them a clout myself.
私自身、彼らの誰かにパンチを与えたいと思っています。
3.The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout .
女王には特権があるが、本当の政治的影響力はない。
4.If the photocopier stops working just give it a clout .
そのコピー機が停止したら叩いてみて。
5.Mr Sutherland may have the clout needed to push the two trading giants into a deal.