Back in the 60s when we were all trying to learn to fingerpick here in the UK by using the thumb and first two fingers the style became known as clawhammer picking for a while- the term now seems to have fallen out of use for that kind of playing. This presumably arose because somebody had heard the term in relation to banjo playing and had not realised that clawhammer banjo is in a completely different right hand approach- a misunderstanding partly arising, I suspect,from the fact that the second first and second fingers are held somehat like the "claws" on an actual clawhammer to play the guitar in this style (By the my father used to call tailed coats "clawhammer coats"). Stefan Grossman (who'd been around guitars a bit) said he had never heard the term clawhammer applied to this style of playing before coming to the UK. It was indiscriminately applied to all kinds of finger picking, though of course Merle Travis and Doc Wason used only thumb and index (and Chet Atkins and Jerry Reid used pima) Steve Baughman, in his excellent and intelligent post above, points out that he is encouraging a guitar style based on actual clawhammer banjo technique- all downstrokes- and credit to him for espousing something new(ish). I'm not sure whether this clears up any confusion in anyones mind or adds to it. As for Mr. Baugham's gently teasing remarks about Prince Charles and crumpets, I think he is really mocking stereotyping, and anyone who finds anything offensive in what he said really needs to stay in more.