Flummery
/ˈflʌm.ə.ri/noun
Nonsense or foolish talk, or a soft, insincere compliment; also a bland, jelly-like food.
Did you know?The word first named a bland oatmeal dish, and by the 18th century it had shifted into a cutting term for empty, fawning nonsense—proof that language can sour into social magic.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
flummery
“A soft, jelly-like food made from cereal or starch”
18th Century
English
flummery
“Empty talk, nonsense, or insincere flattery”
Origin uncertain
English
flummer
“A variant or related form recorded in early modern English”
Modern English
English
flummery
“Nonsense; also a weak, bland food or showy but insincere behavior”