flimflam

[ flim-flam ]
/ ˈflɪmˌflæm /
Informal.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR flimflam ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a trick or deception, especially a swindle or confidence game involving skillful persuasion or clever manipulation of the victim.
a piece of nonsense; twaddle; bosh.

verb (used with object), flim·flammed, flim·flam·ming.

to trick, deceive, swindle, or cheat: A fortuneteller flimflammed her out of her savings.

Origin of flimflam

First recorded in 1530–40; gradational compound of expressive orig.

OTHER WORDS FROM flimflam

flim·flam·mer, noun flim·flam·mer·y, noun

Words nearby flimflam

flight-test, flightless, flightworthy, flighty, flim, flimflam, flimsy, flinch, flinders, flinders bar, flinders grass

Words related to flimflammer

crook, swindler, hustler, mountebank, faker, fake, sharp, whip, counterfeit, actor, cheat, counterfeiter, sham, humbug, phony, bum, pretender, fraud, impostor, pseudo

Example sentences from the Web for flimflammer

  • I guess I can tell a gentleman from a con man or a flimflammer when I meet him.

    The Gentle Grafter |O. Henry

British Dictionary definitions for flimflammer

flimflam
/ (ˈflɪmˌflæm) informal /

noun

  1. nonsense; foolishness
  2. (as modifier)flimflam arguments
a deception; swindle

verb -flams, -flamming or -flammed

(tr) to deceive; trick; swindle; cheat

Derived forms of flimflam

flimflammer, noun

Word Origin for flimflam

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse flīm mockery, Norwegian flire to giggle