flim-flam

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

1538 as noun, 1660 as verb. By reduplication. Perhaps from a dialectical word or Scandinavian; compare Old Norse flim (“lampoon, mockery”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æm
• IPA: /ˈflɪmflæm/

Noun

flim-flam (plural flim-flams) (Not recorded with this spelling in major dictionaries; usually spelled flimflam.)

1. Misinformation; bunkum; false information presented as true.

   Most reports of supernatural occurrences turn out to be flim-flam when carefully investigated.

2. confidence game, con game
3. (archaic) table tennis

Derived terms

• flim-flam man: Confidence trickster
• flam

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:nonsense

References

• Flimflam / Claptrap, The Word Detective, 2009–04–13