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Joined: Mar 2010
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Umber Offline OP
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Flannel is used in the UK to describe plausible untruths. "You are speaking a load of flannel". "That person's a flanneler".

I believe the expressions were prevalent during the war years.

Last edited by Umber; 11/04/11 07:07 AM.
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Pooh-Bah
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Hi Umber
I've not come across that saying before....I wonder if its like a saying we have down under "load of old cods wollop"
as in an untrue statement or remark!

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hehe I haven't heard that for AGES! Also use it to say how useless people are when doing something or asking them do something for you: "You're worse than a wet flannel", or a bit pathetic "ach, stop being such a wet flannel". Ah the English English language is wonderfully expansive wink


----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
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old hand
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Originally Posted By: Candy
cods wollop


Candy, I've seen this as one word often enough (Rowling's Rubeus Hagrid is fond of it, for example), but never as two. Is two the fashion down under?

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Pooh-Bah
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I'm not sure Peter. I hear it often but I don't recall seeing it written.

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old hand
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There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer. It may or may not have started as two words, but its first known appearance in print, second half of 20th century, has it as one word. Here is Michael Quinion's explanation, which should be better than most.

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Carpal Tunnel
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Would in this case flannel be a more civilized equal to bullshit? Umber?

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Carpal Tunnel
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Originally Posted By: bexter
Also use it to say how useless people are when doing something or asking them do something for you: "You're worse than a wet flannel", or a bit pathetic "ach, stop being such a wet flannel". Ah the English English language is wonderfully expansive wink
We use something similar though it's mostly used in team sports : "You play like a wet newspaper". Flannel of course has more elegance.

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We are by nature, an elegant tongue wink even if people are beginning to misuse and forget that grammar exists smirk


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Carpal Tunnel
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Originally Posted By: bexter
We are by nature, an elegant tongue wink even if people are beginning to misuse and forget that grammar exists smirk


Or either that or ignoring zombie rules, one.

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