November 3, 1997

flannel

I've heard the British (English?) phrase "to flannel his (one's) way through (a situation)" meaning, I think, to fake one way's through some situation. Can you tell me the origin of this phrase?

The word flannel is used in British (not just English) slang in several related senses. The earliest as as a noun meaning 'exaggerated talk; nonsense; flattery'. This is first found in the 1920s, though it is alleged to be earlier. The corresponding verb, 'to talk to in a flattering or misleading manner', dates from World War II.

The earliest related sense is probably flannel-mouth, which is found from about 1880 onwards. This word has two senses, 'a glib, insincere, boastful, or ingratiating talker', and 'an Irish person' (a contemptuous term). The 'Irish person' sense is surely a derivative of the 'boastful person' sense, based on the long-established stereotype of the Irish as good talkers. Flannel-mouth is exclusively an Americanism.

It's hard to explain why flannel-mouth is found only in America but flannel is found only in Britain, but the words are almost certainly related. The origin of these uses are not entirely clear. The two likely suggestions are that flannel was a disparaging term in the nineteenth century for excessive ornamentation on printed advertisements, hence the 'exaggeration; nonesense' sense; or, if flannel-mouth is indeed the original word, that it refers to "smoothness" of speech.

The word flannel in its original sense 'a soft slightly napped fabric', which is first found around 1500, is probably from a Welsh word for 'wool'.