Spanner as I know it did not make sense in the context I read it in ("pass me a spanner") so I figured it was a British term for a tool.

1. Chiefly British . a wrench, especially one with fixed jaws. (Web)

1. apparently good or right though lacking real merit;superficially pleasing or plausible: specious arguments. (Web)

This seems to mean plausible and easy to agree with, but in reality false.

1. a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of morewords than necessary to express an idea.
2. a roundabout expression.


Circumlocution is basically a polysyllabic way of beating around the bush.

"a word that names or signifies something specific: 'Wind' isthe denotation for air in natural motion. 'Poodle' is the denotationfor a certain breed of dog." (www.dictionary.com)


Denotation would appear to be, in essence, the linguistic equivalent of pointing.