Gammonings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions or utterances that are insincere, exaggerated, or intended to deceive or manipulate; acts of talking nonsense or making empty statements; speech characterized by obfuscation or misleading rhetoric
2. Communications that convey falsehoods or pretense, often designed to confuse or charm; casting doubt through ambivalent or boastful talk; a style of verbal deception or grandiose but hollow claims
3. The use of language to mislead or bluff, including storytelling that lacks truth or substance; statements filled with nonsense or affected manners; verbal maneuvers meant to distract or beguile listeners

Etymology: "Gammon" has long been British slang for nonsense or humbug, and "gammoning" is built on it by adding the suffix "-ing," which turns it into a noun for the talk itself. The plural "gammonings" simply counts separate instances of such talk, so a politician's speech full of empty promises might be described as a string of gammonings. The sense is close to "bunkum" or "eyewash," words for talk meant to mislead or impress rather than to inform.

Synonyms: deceptions, tricks, bluffs, lies

Antonyms: truths, honesty, facts