Verb (common and billiards).—1. To effect by accident. 1888. Sportsman, 20 Dec. Fortune once more assisted Mitchell, who, in trying to make a red loser, fluked a cannon, from which he got on the spot, and made forty-three winners in a break of 161. 2. (schoolboys’).—To shirk. 1864. Eton School Days, ch. xvi., p. 203. ‘By Jove! I think I shall fluke doing Verses; I should like to see Paddy drive tandem through College,’ said Butler Burke. To cut flukes out, verb. phr. (nautical).—To mutiny; to turn sulky and disobedient. To turn flukes, verb. phr. (nautical).—To go to bed; i.e., to bunk (q.v.), or turn in. Fluky, or Flukey, adj. (common).—Of the nature of a fluke (q.v.); i.e., achieved more by good luck than good guidance. 1882. Standard, 3 Sept. Bonnor got a Flukey three to square leg. 1891. Licensed Vict. Gazette, 20 March. Now, Grady was a smart young Irishman who had thrashed Stevens twice in days gone by, and had won a somewhat flukey victory over Young Norley. Hence Flukiness = abounding in flukes. 1886. Ill. Sport. and Dram. News, 20 Feb., p. 579. There is no flukiness about him: he makes his runs because he is an excellent batsman, and takes his wickets because he is an excellent bowler. Flummadiddle, subs. (American).—1. Nonsense; flummery (q.v.). 2. (nautical).—A sea-dainty. 1884. G. A. Sala, in Ill. London News, July 19, p. 51, col. 2. I suppose that when the friendly skippers gam [q.v.], they feast on flummadiddle, a dish composed, I am given to understand, of stale bread, pork fat, molasses, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Flummergasted, ppl. adj. (colloquial).—Astonished; confounded. A variant of flabbergasted (q.v.). 1849. New South Wales: Past and Present, ch. i., p. 14. This coolness so completely flummergasted the fellow, that he kept talking until Mr. Day shot him through the shoulder. Flummery, subs. (colloquial). 1. Nonsense; gammon (q.v.); flattery. 1785. Grose, Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. Oatmeal and water boiled to a jelly; also compliments: neither ... over-nourishing. 1836. M. Scott, Tom Cringle’s Log, ch. i. I shall ... blow off as much of the froth as I can, in order to present the residuum free of flummery. 1846. Thackeray, Yellow Plush Papers. She swallowed Lord Crabs’ flumery just as she would so many musheruims. 1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. xii. None of the dubious, half-expressed, sentimental flummery. 2. (American nautical).—A kind of bread pudding.—Nordhoff. 3. (old).—Oatmeal and water boiled to a jelly.—Grose (1785).