1589. Pappe with an Hatchet (ed. 1844) p. 39. Trusse up thy packet of flim-flams, and roage to some countrey faire, or read it among boyes in the belfrie.
1630. Taylor, Workes. They with a courtly tricke, or a flim-flam, do nod at me, whilst I the noddy am.
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. XVIII., ch. xii. I thought thou had’st been a lad of higher mettle than to give way to a parcel of maidenish tricks. I tell thee ’tis all flim-flam.
1780. Mrs. Cowley, The Belle’s Stratagem, iii., 1. Mr. Curate, don’t think to come over me with your flim-flams, for a better man than ever trod in your shoes is coming over-sea to marry me. [[24]]
1805. Isaac Disraeli, Flim-flams; or the Life and Errors of my Uncle, and the Amours of my Aunt [title].
1825. C. Lamb, Munden (in London Magazine) Feb. I wonder you can put such flim-flams upon us, sir.
Adj. (old).—Idle; worthless.
1589. Nashe, Month’s Minde, in wks. Vol. I., p. 174. But to leaue thy flim-flam tales and loytering lies.
1598. Florio, A Worlde of Wordes. Filastroccola, flim-flam tales, old wiues tales as they tell when they spinne, a tale without rime or reason, or head or foote.
1633. T. Newton, Lennie’s Touch-stone of Complexions, p. 120. Reporting a flim-flam tale of Robin Hood.