The word “flummery” can be puzzling both in English and in German. Flummery is a British word that originally meant “empty blabbering or false compliments,” but also “oatmeal.” Eventually, it came to mean a kind of semolina pudding, even if it can’t be prepared with pudding mix. Traditionally, there is an important distinction between pudding and flummery: pudding can be savory, prepared with fish or shellfish. But a flummery is always sweet.
