flim-flam

See also: flimflam

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

1538 as noun, 1660 as verb. By reduplication. Perhaps from a dialectal word or Scandinavian; compare Old Norse flim (lampoon, mockery).[1]

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -æm
  • IPA(key): /ˈflɪmflæm/

Noun

flim-flam (countable and uncountable, plural flim-flams)

  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

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • flim-flam man: Confidence trickster
  • flam

References

  1. flim-flam” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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