1884. G. A. Sala, in Ill. London News, July 19, p. 51, col. 2. I
suppose that when the friendly skippers gam [q.v.], they feast on
flummadiddle, a dish composed, I am given to understand, of stale
bread, pork fat, molasses, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
Flummergasted, ppl. adj. (colloquial).—Astonished; confounded. A
variant of flabbergasted (q.v.).
1849. New South Wales: Past and Present, ch. i., p. 14. This
coolness so completely flummergasted the fellow, that he kept
talking until Mr. Day shot him through the shoulder.
Flummery, subs. (colloquial). 1. Nonsense; gammon (q.v.); flattery.
1785. Grose, Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. Oatmeal and water
boiled to a jelly; also compliments: neither ... over-nourishing.
1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. i. I shall ... blow off as
much of the froth as I can, in order to present the residuum free
of flummery.
1846. Thackeray, Yellow Plush Papers. She swallowed Lord Crabs’
flumery just as she would so many musheruims.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. xii. None of the dubious,
half-expressed, sentimental flummery.