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Fabric words used metaphorically This week's words tweedy flannel woolly cotton plushy A Word A Day the book  "Delightful." -The New York Times Buy 
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with Anu Gargflannel
PRONUNCIATION:
(FLAN-l)
MEANING:
noun:
Nonsense; evasive talk; flattery.
ETYMOLOGY:
Besides the fabric, the word flannel can refer to a washcloth, an
undergarment, or trousers, but here we are interested in its metaphorical
sense which apparently developed from the soft and smooth texture of the
fabric. The origin of the word flannel remains fuzzy. Two possible derivations
have been suggested: from Welsh gwlanen (woolen article) or from Old French
flaine (a kind of coarse wool, blanket).
USAGE:
"Commissioned by the Blair economic team, the report is just what the
doctor ordered. No flannel. No spin."Peter Koenig; Honeymoon With the Economy is Over For Blair; The Independent (London, UK); Nov 16, 1997. See more usage examples of flannel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
The eye of the understanding is like the eye of the sense; for as you may see great objects through small crannies or holes, so you may see great axioms of nature through small and contemptible instances. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626)
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