Originally Posted By: AnnaStrophic
I've also googled the term, Branshea, and I am going to guess the US equivalent is "snake-oil salesman."

That seems more openly treacherous than flannel merchant. British understatement, I guess.

Sycophant makes me think of a psychotic elephant. But I think it comes pretty close to the meaning of flannel merchant.

"He thought he saw a sycophant,
that practised on a fife:
He looked again, and found it was
a letter to his wife,
"At lenght I realise", he said,
"The bitterness of Life!" (just kidding )

(paraphrasing Lewis Caroll)