flapdoodle

plural flapdoodles · alternative flamdoodle · alternative flap-doodle · alternative flap doodle · alternative doodleflap · alternative flipdoodle

1. uncountableNonsense.

   Fiddlesticks and flapdoodle

   1974, Bagpuss (TV series)

   3 more examples

   ‘The gentleman has eaten no small quantity of flapdoodle in his lifetime.’ ‘What’s that, O’Brien?’ replied I. ‘Why, Peter,’ rejoined he, ‘it’s the stuff they feed fools on.’

   1834 [1832], Frederick Marryat, chapter 28, in Peter Simple

   Why, with my sternest critic's pencil in my hand, its lead as black as my heart, did I not write the word “flapdoodle” in the margin at that point?

   2006 October 7, Nicholas Lezard, “In bed with Tracey Emin”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   It is not worth falling into dispute over such a flapdoodle of a vestimentary matter.

   2007, The Times

   Synonyms: absurdity, all my eye, all my eye and Betty Martin, apple grease, applesauce, bafflegab, balderdash, balls

2. countableThingamabob.

   Suppose you invent a flapdoodle. The flapdoodle can be any color, but your "preferred" flapdoodle is colored red.

   2008, Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society

   2 more examples

   Then there was the noble but unseen army of perspiring heroes who wrestled with furniture and wings and other flapdoodles behind the curtain.

   1929, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Vox Lycei 1928-1929, page 43

   What other playwright would dare populate his plays with space aliens, dancing plates and spoons, vampires, girl huns, mystic furballs and bodacious flapdoodles?

   1999, American Theatre - Volume 16, page 17

3. countableA speaker or writer of nonsense.

   As for the others, no one cares a brass farthing what Olcott and his "flapdoodles" may do or say.

   1895, St. Martin's-le-grand - Volume 5, page 102

   1 more example

   Here, So-and-so ”—to some one on whose countenance a faint gleam of comprehension was discernible—“ tell these flapdoodles of the ages what I mean.”

   1893, Annie Besant, Annie Besant: An Autobiography, page 363

present singular third person flapdoodles · participle present flapdoodling · participle past flapdoodled · past flapdoodled · alternative flamdoodle · alternative flap-doodle · alternative flap doodle · alternative doodleflap · alternative flipdoodle

1. To con; to deceive with nonsense.

   Now, however the innocents may be flapdoodled by such jugglery the guilties remain undeceived.

   1911, The Conservator - Volumes 22-24, page 28

   2 more examples

   Whilst acknowledging the accolade and honour, I wasn't happy and 'flapdoodled' to try and get out of it.

   1988, British Homing World - Volume 61, page 35

   This Vok, or Cole, undoubtedly flapdoodled the witnesses into thinking he was skinny then flipped open his false hump and let the demoniacal pixie out to do its fell business.

   2014, Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of Awesome Comic Fantasy