Barry, Cuba, ILSubj: What’s in a name?
I was chatting with someone the other day and they used the expression “In like Flynn.” Can you tell me who Flynn is and how the expression first came into usage?
You bet, Barry. The inspiration for the expression was Edward J. Flynn, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the man responsible for ushering Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman into office. Flynn was reportedly so proficient at greasing the wheels that politicians believed once they got him on their side they were as good as “in.” This colorful phrase has since been appropriated to refer to sexual conquest thanks to Errol Flynn, a cinematic swashbuckler and one of the most notorious playboys of his generation.
