Dictionary

flannelmouth en · NOUN

Etymology

From flannel + mouth.

Meanings

1. (dated, informal) One who speaks in an unclear, muffled, or sluggish manner.
   • "Oh!—Oh!—Oh!" Bert screamed, with every blow she struck "Hey, old flannel-mouth! Watch out! You'll get yours in a second." 1913, Jack London, chapter 4, in The Valley of the Moon:
   • [Y]ou may detect your own "elderly" tricks—pushing your shoulders up around your ears, being a mumble-boy or a flannelmouth! 1943 October 8, “Why Give Clues to Your Age?”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 11 Oct 2011, page 5:
   • How do they sit there, hour after hour, and listen to the congressional gasbags without blowing their tops? . . . never once leaping over the table, grabbing an inquisitor by his ears and screaming, "Hey, flannel mouth—does the phrase ‘posturing hypocrite windbag’ ring a bell?" 1998 November 30, Jeff Greenfield, “With Respect, You Moron...”, in Time:
2. (dated, informal) One who speaks in a glib manner with the intent of deceiving or manipulating others.
   • Uncle Sedgwick, who is considered around and about as somewhat of a flannelmouth, has talked Drizzlepuss into going ice fishing. . . . Uncle can tell you some wonderful fish stories, but, boy, I've never known a guy who's so careless with the truth. 1947 January 6, George O'Halloran, “Chester the Pup”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 11 Oct 2011, page 2:
   • "Flannelmouth Fred"—He spends most of his time going around indiscriminately patting all the other employes on the back and saying "You're doing a grand job." . . . But the rest of the hired hands . . . know that after they finish doing their work, he'll ask them to help do his. 1962 October 11, Hal Boyle, “Joy Gladly Spread”, in Spokane Daily Chronicle, retrieved 11 Oct 2011, page 4:

Forms

Deriveds

flannel-mouthed