Flimflammer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who engages in deception or fraud through trickery and confidence schemes to gain money or advantage from others
2. A fraudulent individual employs deception and trickery to swindle others and exploit their trust for personal gain
3. Someone who uses deceptive tactics and manipulation to cheat unsuspecting victims out of their money or resources

Etymology: "Flimflammer" is a plain formation: the noun "flimflam" with the agent suffix "-er" added, so it names one who performs flimflams. The suffix "-er" comes from Old English and has long been used to turn verbs and nouns into words for people who do something, as in "baker" or "driver." The base word "flimflam" is the more interesting part. It appears in English as a noun meaning a trick, nonsense or deceptive talk, and it carries a playful, rhythmic sound that suggests its own meaning: the repeated "fl" and "m" sounds mimic the empty, flapping quality of idle chatter. That sound-symbolic feel is common in English words for trickery and foolishness, and it helps explain why "flimflam" has stayed lively in informal speech while more serious words for fraud have grown dull.