camp follower

camp follower

1. A civilian who follows a military unit from one location to the next, either because the person is closely related to a service member or to unofficially provide goods or services to members of the unit. Daniel spent his childhood as a camp follower. His father was in the army, so he and his mother had to move a lot.
2. A person who supports a group or cause without officially belonging to its organization. I always vote Republican, but I'm a camp follower—I'm registered as an Independent.
See also: camp, follower
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

camp follower

1. A civilian who follows or settles near a military camp, especially a prostitute who does so. For example, The recruits were told not to associate with camp followers. [Early 1800s]
2. A person who sympathizes with a cause or group but does not join it. For example, She's only a camp follower so we can't count on her for a contribution.
See also: camp, follower
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a camp follower

You call someone a camp follower when they follow or spend time with a particular person or group, either because they admire or support them, or because they hope to gain advantages from them. Brecht was surrounded by `camp-followers' — crowds of women who seemed to adore him. Even in my day as a player, we had our camp followers. Note: This expression is often used to show disapproval. Note: Originally, camp followers were civilians who travelled with an army and who made their living selling goods or services to the soldiers.
See also: camp, follower
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

camp follower

One who follows a group without being part of it. The practice originated with the families of recruits, prostitutes, and traveling merchants, who would settle near a military encampment. Later it was extended to others who benefited from military installations. The term itself may come from a letter written by the duke of Wellington in 1810. In mid-twentieth-century America the camp followers of rock musicians and other entertainers, mostly young women who followed their idols on tour, acquired the name groupie, which then was extended to any ardent fan.
See also: camp, follower
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a camp follower
  • follower
  • any old place
  • any old thing, time, place, etc.
  • have a 20 on (someone)
  • get a 20 on (someone)
  • a/(one's) 20
  • hop, skip, and jump
  • skip
  • a hop, skip, and a jump
References in periodicals archive
She is soon unhappy with his womanizing and after eight months as a camp follower she asks to be sent home.
Soldaderas of the Mexican revolution
Watch out for any recruitment of the more vulnerable youngsters for a kind of auxiliary corps similar to Hitler's or somebody's youth camp followers.
Bring back ROTC, but reform it first
Equally, while fed the Mourinho and Wenger titbits in the same bulletin, United camp followers were told Ashley is becoming more and more convinced the Sheikh is all smoke and mirrors rather than substance.
Answers awaited as clock keeps ticking
Friendships were formed between players and we camp followers that have endured to this day.
Spotlight put on Bears three-mendous success
About six lakh men including camp followers, and several lakh beasts: horses, bullocks and elephants were in this close area for two and a half months utilising all food and firewood in the entire neighbourhood, until the battle began.
Past in Perspective
It was this obsessive focus on his own narrow interests that made Obama fill 'his' administration with Clinton-era retreads, installing Hillary Clinton as the de facto Executive President of the US, to whom the many Clinton camp followers went to for instructions rather than to the newly elected President.
Billionaires lobby for Pelosi as US House Speaker
Muraleedharan MLA demanded an adjournment motion, pointing that some of the junior rank police personnel attached to senior officials -- known in police parlance as 'camp followers' -- were ill-treated and even being used as midwives.
Bathing dogs not a junior officer's job, says Kerala chief minister
Right from day one, Nawaz Sharif behaved like a king and failed to lead his own party as a democratic and political leader.He considered all his party members, from top to bottom, as his camp followers and not partner in running the affairs in the country.
Nawaz blamed for the political crisis
The big problem is what to do with the 600 MPs, their staff, the press and the scores of other "camp followers" who would have to move out for some six years while this work goes on.
The biggest removal job mankind has ever seen
In 1314, servants, cart drivers and camp followers, seeing the tide turn in Bruce's favour, charged from behind the hill and sparked panic in the English, causing them to flee.
Protesters march on Gillies Hill
To date, there are more than 1,000 Southeast Asian fighters of the ISIS in Iraq and Syria, with 2,000 to 3,000 camp followers. Majority of these Southeast Asian combatants are from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Analyst: Southeast Asian fighters of ISIS may regroup in PH
Lawmakers need to see signs of good faith from the MILF leadership to move them to view BBL as true legislation for its people, NOT for its soldiers, sycophants, and camp followers.
Can BBL truly restore peace?
In the unlikely event of Milliband's camp followers gaining a clear majority (8-1 chance) it seems they are set to wage war on the FOBTs or puggies to you and I.
Hidden Cyclone ready to blow QM rivals away
There are quite enough hangers-on and camp followers already."
An inspiration to us all; FEEDBACK
In discussing imitation, she notes that innovations did not always spread down the social hierarchy, offering the counter-example of slashed clothes, which originated with Swiss mercenaries, later spreading to camp followers, and eventually, aristocrats.
Paulicelli, Eugenia, Writing Fashion in Early Modern Italy: From Sprezzatura to Satire