flannelmouth

See also: flannel-mouth and flannel mouth

English

Alternative forms

flannel-mouth, flannel mouth

Etymology

From flannel +‎ mouth.

Noun

flannelmouth (plural flannelmouths)

(informal, dated) One who speaks in an unclear, muffled, or sluggish manner.
- 1913, Jack London, chapter 4, in The Valley of the Moon:
  "Oh!—Oh!—Oh!" Bert screamed, with every blow she struck "Hey, old flannel-mouth! Watch out! You'll get yours in a second."
- 1943 October 8, “Why Give Clues to Your Age?”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 11 October 2011, page 5:
  [Y]ou may detect your own "elderly" tricks—pushing your shoulders up around your ears, being a mumble-boy or a flannelmouth!
- 1998 November 30, Jeff Greenfield, “With Respect, You Moron...”, in Time:
  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?"
(informal, dated) One who speaks in a glib manner with the intent of deceiving or manipulating others.
- 1947 January 6, George O'Halloran, “Chester the Pup”, in Milwaukee Journal, retrieved 11 October 2011, page 2:
  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.
- 1962 October 11, Hal Boyle, “Joy Gladly Spread”, in Spokane Daily Chronicle, retrieved 11 October 2011, page 4:
  "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.

Derived terms

flannel-mouthed

References

“flannelmouth”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.