What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Happy clappy’?
The term came into use in the 1980s. It is applied especially to aficionados of the Toronto Blessing form of worship. It seems to have originated in South Africa. The earliest citation I can find of the term in print is from the Australian newspaper The Age, April 1985:
Two brands of Christianity making themselves felt today are the “born again” kind and the happy-clappy, tongues-speaking, faith-healing kind called Pentecostal.