Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1819, 1913
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BEFLUM, v. and n. [bə′flʌm]
1. v. “To befool by cajoling language” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2).Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxv.:
An I had been the Lord High Commissioner to the Estates o' Parliament, they couldna hae beflumm'd me mair — and — I could hardly hae beflumm'd them better neither.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. of Christ iii. xxxviii. 146:
The Gibeonites, . . . bot lippenin owre eithlie till bonnie wirds, war beflum't wi' sham santliness.
2. n. “Idle, nonsensical or cajoling talk” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2).
[Prob. a variant of Blaflum, Blaeflum. See also Flumgummery.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Beflum v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/beflum>
