flannel
n. uncountablen. talk that sounds nice but is actually confusing or dishonest. You use this word when someone is trying to avoid answering a question directly. It is common in British English.
n. evasive or nonsensical talk used to avoid a direct question or to deceive. Often associated with British English; implies a deliberate lack of substance or clarity.
Stop giving me all this flannel and answer the question.
The politician's speech was mostly flannel, designed to please the crowd without committing to any specific policy changes.
The board saw through the CEO's corporate flannel, demanding a transparent breakdown of the quarterly losses rather than vague assurances of future growth.
From Middle English flaunneol, from Anglo-Norman flanelle (compare Norman flianné), diminutive of Old French flaine, floene (“coarse wool”), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic wlānos, wlanā (“wool”) (compare Welsh gwlân, Breton gloan), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂. More at wool.
Primarily used in British English; often appears in the phrase 'all flannel'.