must be related to fanfaronade, which is empty boasting or bluster

but not at all related to gonfalon which nonetheless goes merrily flapping in the breeze...

gonfalon bubble

Nor granfalloon, neither.

I found several sites supporting tsuwm's opinion. It is from French "fanfaron"/ Rember the Scots used to have close ties to France.

fanfaron
Also 7 fanfaroone, -rrone, 8 -ran, 9 -roon. [Fr. fanfaron, f. fanfare.]
1. A blusterer, boaster, braggart.

fanfaron
Also 7 fanfaroone, -rrone, 8 -ran, 9 -roon. [Fr. fanfaron, f. fanfare.]

Also a Fan f'ron, obviously :)

a Fan f'ron, obviously
Me too, me too! Oh, mav, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to see you posting here again. HUG!!!

I have checked the italian
fanfara ( french fanfare), meaning
military musical band, made mostly by brasses, so that
a fanfarone is someone making a lot of noise (about himself)

Geraldine Brooks appears to really like this word. She also used it in Caleb's Crossing: "He would have his musket-wielding fanfarroons from the mainland cross here."

Hi Thomasin....eight years later and your reply come through so clear.

What are 'fanfarroons'?

What are 'fanfarroons'?

I assume it'sn alternate spelling of fanfaron (link): "A bully; a hector; a swaggerer; an empty boaster". From Fr < Sp fanfarron cf. It fanfano and OSp. fanfa 'swaggering, boasting' and Ar farfār 'talkative'. I've seen quotes from Dryden and Walter Scott.

and thus are our livers chopped.

and thus are our livers chopped.

I wasn't answering the question you were but a similar one asked by another ...