Small jumping insects known for the chirping sounds they make, or used to describe an awkward silence when nobody speaks.
From Old French 'criquet,' possibly imitating the sound the insects make. The onomatopoeia connection makes sense—'cricket' sounds like the noise they produce. The silence meaning came from the humorous idea that after a joke nobody laughs, all you hear is crickets.
It's hilarious that 'crickets' became slang for an awkward silence because the only sound you hear is the actual insects chirping—so when nobody laughs at your joke, you're left with just the sound of crickets outside!
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